84 MARKET GARDENING 



The soil should be very thoroughly prepared. Fall plough- 

 ing is universally practiced in onion growing sections. 



Planting. The bulk of the onion crop is produced 

 from seed sown in the spring. Sowing should begin as soon 

 as the ground can be gotten in proper condition. The seeds 

 are sown with a hand drill in rows, twelve to sixteen inches 

 apart, when hand cultivation is practiced. For horse cul- 

 tivation, the rows should be twenty-four to .thirty inches 

 apart. A small well-trained mule may be used to cultivate 

 in rows as close together as eighteen inches. 



The amount of seed to use per acre will depend upon 

 whether the land is favorable to the growth of the seedlings, 

 the season and the quality of the seed. The seed should 

 always be tested to determine its viability. When good 

 seed is used and the rows are fourteen inches apart, four 

 pounds of seed per acre should be sufficient. 



Early onions are grown from sets, which may be planted 

 in the fall or spring. Tree onion sets may be planted in 

 the fall. Sets grown from seed sown very thick, so as to 

 produce very small bulbs, should be planted in the spring. 

 The sets planted in the spring should be placed in the 

 ground as soon as it can be gotten into shape for planting. 

 Fall planted sets should be put out four to six weeks before 

 hard freezing weather. 



Sets are planted for bunching onions, or for the pro- 

 duction of early mature onions. Bunching onions are also 

 grown from seed. 



Cultivation. The cultivation should begin even before 

 the seedlings appear, and should continue throughout 

 the growing season. The cultivation should be shallow 

 so as not to disturb the onion roots, which are close to 

 the surface. 



Onion cultivation is carried on almost entirely by hand 



