188 TRUCK-FARMING AT THE SOUTH. 



the neck sufficiently to topple over. At this time, some 

 of the roots are dead, and have lost their hold upon the 

 soil. The onions are allowed to remain spread upon the 

 ground for two or three weeks to dry, before being housed. 

 They are in fit condition for storing, when no moist- 

 ure is visible upon strongly twisting the necks. Here, 

 the crop being wanted for an early market and immediate 

 use, the onions are pulled, as they successively indicate ma- 

 turity by toppling over, and are left on the ground a day 

 or two, or they are removed at once, and the necks cut off 

 with a sharp knife, an inch or so from the bulb, when 

 they are carefully packed in bushel crates and shipped. 



A vegetable, not a luxury, and rarely, if ever, out of 

 market, cannot be expected to bring high prices. Onions 

 range between one dollar and two dollars and fifty cents 

 per bushel crate. In our local market they brought last 

 June from two dollars and twenty-five cents to two dol- 

 lars and seventy-five cents per bushel crate. 



A globular-shaped onion will produce a crop one-third 

 larger than one that is flat in form. 



RAISING ONION SEED. 



If properly matured, and carefully preserved, South- 

 ern-grown seed is as good as any. The onion being a 

 biennial plant, it produces seed the second season. The 

 bulbs from which it is contemplated to save the seed 

 should be selected, choosing those which combine the 

 distinguishing peculiarities of the variety, in order that 

 the seed may remain true. If planted in the fall, the 

 seed will be ripe the following July or August. The soil 

 should not be as rich as for the crop of bulbs, lest the 

 flowers may blight and form no seed. The rows should 

 be about eighteen inches apart, and the entire bulbs 

 pressed into the soil below the surface, about eight inches 

 apart in the row. The seed stalks of some of the va- 

 rieties are five feet high, and unless they are supported, 



