SEED INSPECTION 35 



Type and Variety Studies of Onions, 1930 



Conducted in Conjunction with the Department of Vegetable Gardening, M. A. C. 



The field trials of onion varieties and strains included 42 named sorts from 

 47 sources, or 132 varieties and strains of varieties. The seed was purchased 

 in every case from the seed firm or grower. In conducting the trials an effort 

 was made to maintain as uniform conditions as possible for all the samples used, 

 including soil type, fertilization, planting distances, rate of seeding, thinning, 

 cultivation and harvesting. Comparisons of strains of a given variety and 

 various varieties one with another were fairly made. 



The purpose of the trials was to evaluate each variety or strain from the 

 viewpoint of trueness to type. In making the observations, however, such 

 other factors were noted as a comparison of laboratory seed germination tests 

 with the germination in the field, and size of seed and its effect on germination. 



In general the samples included were fairly true for the sort designated by 

 the seedsman. Some of the lots showed weak germination both in the labora- 

 tory and in the field. There was some indication of variations in shape and 

 color in the Danvers types away from that commonly considered ideal. Possi- 

 bly the most pronounced deviation, however, was the prominence of mixtures — 

 red and white bulbs in the yellow lots — from a few sources. 



The results are given in detail in the following table. 



Explanation of the Table 



Germination. — In some cases the samples of seed purchased were too 

 small to allow for laboratory germination tests. 



Seedling Growth. — Observations were made at weekly intervals over a 

 period of six weeks on the vigor of the seedling plants. These observations 

 were then condensed to denote the type of growth during the entire establish- 

 ment stage of the plants in each lot. In the terminology used, "poor" means 

 very slow, weak growth; "fair" indicates slow plant establishment; and 

 "good" designates strong, vigorous growth. 



Percentage of No. 1 Bulbs. — After the bulbs were harvested, each lot 

 was run over an inch and three-quarter mesh screen, so that a fairly accurate 

 estimate, by count, could be made of the percentage of No. 1 bulbs. 



Trueness to Type included all those factors usually considered as designating 

 the characters of a given sort, such as shape, size, color, percentage of outer 

 papery leaves, texture, etc. Because there may be some difference of opinion 

 among seedsmen as to details for the ideal type of a given variety, only those 

 variations which were quite outstanding are recorded. "Poor" means that 

 the bulbs in the lot deviated markedly in one or more factors from the ideal; 

 "fair" signifies a less marked variation from the type; and "good" indicates 

 that the lot in general ran true to type. 



Rating, Type and Performance. — Each lot was evaluated from the view- 

 point of trueness to type and general performance under the conditions in 

 which they were grown. A given lot may have produced bulbs of a good type, 

 but have been rated low as a commercial variety because of only fair germi- 

 nation and slow plant growth. Or, a lot may have been rated low because the 

 bulbs matured down soft, although the plant growth and trueness to type may 

 have been very good. In this column X means very poor; XX, poor; XXX, 

 fair; XXXX, good; and XXXXX, excellent. 



