THE ONION. 189 



they will break or bend over, until the seed heads either 

 touch the ground, or approach it so closely as to be dam- 

 aged by the moisture. This support is most easily given 

 by stretching twine a few inches below the seed heads, 

 one along the middle of the bed, and another on the 

 outer edge of every bed. The seed is ripe enough for 

 gathering, when the pods commence to burst open, and 

 heads and stalks turn yellow. The stalks are carefully 

 cut six or eight inches from the heads, which are allowed 

 to fall into a bucket or open bag, otherwise some of the 

 seed may shell out and be lost. Partly-matured seed 

 will not ripen fully, if the stalk is cut close to the seed- 

 cluster. 



These must be spread out upon the close floor of a dry 

 loft, or hung up to dry thoroughly, when they may be 

 thrashed out, winnowed, and washed. The false seed 

 and husks will float upon the surface of the water, 

 while only the good seed will sink to the bottom of the 

 vessel. The seed must be quickly and thoroughly dried 

 in the sun before being stored away. 



ONION SETS. 



At Norfolk, onions for the Northern markets are not 

 grown from the seed, as the crop would not sufficiently 

 anticipate those of more northern latitudes; but from 

 sets* or small onions. Those of the " Potato-onion " are 

 put out in August and September, and sets of the " Silver- 

 skin" and " Yellow Danvers" in February. 



The " Potato-onion " produces no seed, but forms from 

 three to ten small bulbs around the old one, from which 

 it is propagated. These small bulbs, when planted out, 

 increase in size, and form a large and marketable onion. 

 These produce the earliest crop of local growth, and even 

 survive the winter as far north as Vermont. The prep- 



* The English word "sets" may have come over from the German 

 " Setz-2wiebeV that js: planting- onions, 



