ONIONS 



181 



Potato onions and shallots are always grown from 

 the bulbs, which increase in size and also produce a cluster 

 of bulbs (cloves) around the one that is planted. They are 

 especially adapted to early marketing in the same way as 

 onion sets. 



Egyptian, or Perennial Tree, Onion. This kind is 

 perfectly hardy and does not form bulbs, but the blanched 



stem is used in a green 

 state. It produces no seed, 

 but instead has a small 

 cluster of bulblets where 

 the seed cluster should 

 be. These bulblets are 

 planted in September in 

 the same way as recom- 

 mended for onion sets and 

 are ready for use as bunch 

 onions very early the 

 following season. 



Top onions is a name 

 applied to a class of onions 

 that produce no seed, but 

 where the seed should be 

 have a cluster of small 

 bulbs. These small bulbs 

 when planted grow into 

 large common onions, and 

 when these common on- 



Fig. 69. Field of seed onions in bloom, ions are planted they 

 Minnesota. (Photo courtesy The Farmer.) p roc j uce a crop Q f sets< 



Onion seed is raised by planting out the bulbs in the 

 spring in rows four feet apart, and for this purpose bulbs 



