ONIONS 177 



work of cleaning may be done in autumn before storing 

 and the sets mixed with chaff to aid in keeping them over 

 winter. 



Transplanting Onions. Within a few years some 

 market gardeners have adopted a plan of raising onions 

 by sowing the seed in March in a hotbed and then trans- 

 planting the seedlings to the open ground as soon as it 

 works well. This system has the merit of doing away 

 with the first few weedings in the open ground, reduces 

 the expense of seed to a minimum, and makes it possible 

 to raise some of the more delicate foreign varieties of onions 

 that command the highest price in the market. It is very 

 doubtful, however, if the common field onions can be 

 raised at a profit under this method, but it is desirable if 

 the Spanish kinds are to be raised in Northern states. 



The selection and preparation of the land for this 

 purpose are the same as for a field crop. The seed is sown 

 in a hotbed in rows three inches apart, or on a small scale 

 a few plants may be raised in a box in the window of the 

 living room. The soil for this purpose should be somewhat 

 sandy loam of only moderate quality, and that which 

 has no manure in it is most certain to grow healthy plants. 

 If very thick in the row, the plants must be thinned out 

 so as not to crowd one another too much, but still they 

 may be grown very thickly; as many as twelve to fifteen 

 plants to the inch of row is about right, and to secure this 

 amount about twice as many seeds will have to be sown 

 to the inch. Too much importance cannot be attached 

 to the raising of strong plants, since those that are weak 

 and splindling are very certain to fail when removed. 



For a week or two previous to setting out the plants, 

 they should have plenty of fresh air, and it is a good plan 

 to remove the sashes entirely from over them except when 



