THE ONION. 129 



Bulb of medium size, flattened, average Silver-Skin. 



WHITE PORTU- 



specimens measuring about three inches m 



diameter, and an inch and a half or two inches 



in thickness ; neck very small ; skin silvery-white. After 



the removal of the outer envelope, the upper part of the bulb 



is often veined and clouded with green, while 



the portion produced below ground is gen- 



erally clear white. Flesh white, fine-grained, 



sugary, and remarkably mild flavored. 



It forms its bulb early and regularly, 

 ripens off well, and is quite productive ; an 



1 1 v i_ r iJJ Silver-Skin Onion. 



average yield being about tour hundred 

 bushels per acre. It is a poor keeper ; and this is its 

 most serious objection. It is always preserved through the 

 winter with much difficulty, and almost invariably decays 

 if kept from light and exposed to dampness. The best 

 method for its preservation is to spread the roots in a dry, 

 light, and airy situation. 



The Silver-skin Onion is much esteemed in the middle and 

 southern sections of the United States, and is cultivated to a 

 considerable extent in New England. It is well adapted for 

 sowing in August, or the beginning of September, for early 

 use, and for marketing during the ensuing spring. Where 

 the winters are mild, the crop, with slight protection, will 

 sustain no injury in the open ground. In Europe it is much 

 esteemed, and extensively grown for pickling, as its " white 

 color, in contrast with the fine green veins, or lines, gives it 

 a very agreeable appearance. For pickling, the seed should 

 be sown thickly, then slightly covered with fine soil, and 

 afterwards rolled. If the seed is covered more deeply, the 

 bulb, from not being quite on the surface, has a larger and 

 thicker neck ; so that it loses its finely rounded form, and is, 

 moreover, less compact." 



This variety, erroneously known in New England as the 



