ON ION 8 175 



times rolled to make it still more compact around the 

 bulbs, but it is generally quite moist when the sets are 

 planted in early spring. 



As soon as the rows can be seen, the wheel hoe is used, 

 and the plants kept free from weeds and the soil well 

 stirred. By this method we shall have onions of good 

 table size by the first of July, and some may be marketed 

 in bunches in a green state in June. Onion sets seldom, 

 if ever, fail to produce good crops, and are well adapted 

 for use in the home garden and by those who will not 

 take the pains necessary to grow good onions from seed. 

 No matter how poor the soil or the cultivation where the 

 sets are planted, they always increase in size and ripen 

 early. There is no danger of their being injured by freez- 

 ing after being planted. From six to ten bushels of sets 

 are required per acre, depending on their size. 



The raising of onion sets is carried on to a large extent 

 in some localities, and it is a crop that requires much skill 

 in handling. Sandy soil of rather inferior quality but 

 free from weeds and in fine tilth is best for this purpose. 

 To keep the sets from growing too large, it is customary 

 to plant from thirty to fifty pounds of seed per acre, and 

 not plant it until the latter part of May. This treatment 

 crowds the seedlings so that they cannot grow large. In 

 sowing the seed, it is best to go over the rows with the 

 sower three or four times, sowing only a part of the seed 

 each time. This spreads the seed out in wide drills and 

 permits of more even work than would be possible were 

 it attemped to sow all the seed by going over the rows 

 once. If onion sets grow too large it is often almost 

 impossible to use them for any purpose, since they are too 

 small to sell well except for pickling, and the demand for 

 this purpose is very limited. On this account, if it is 



