2348 



ONCOSPERMA 



ONION 



Trunk low, very spiny: Ivs. equally pinnate; Ifts. 

 ensiform-acuminate, entire, equidistant or somewhat 

 clustered in 2 or more series, the veins scaly beneath; 

 rachis convex on the back, with a blunt keel above: 

 spadix from between the Ivs., monoecious, crowded 

 with sessile, spirally arranged fls.: fr. small. Onco- 

 sperma differs from Euterpe in the small, acute sepals: 

 stamens 6-12, the anthers erect: albumen ruminate. 

 Species 6. Trop. Asia. Cult, as in Areca. 



fasciculate, Thwaites. Caudex at length 30-40 ft. 

 high, 5-6 in. diam.: Ivs. 18 ft. long; pinnae fascicled, 

 12-18 in. long, 1-2 in. wide, lanceolate, long-acuminate, 

 the tips drooping; sheath 2J^ ft., armed and scurfy: fr. 

 globose, black-purple, ^in. diam., much like a black 

 currant. Ceylon. 



filamentdsa, Blume (Areca Nlbung, Griff. A. tigil- 

 laria, Jack). Trunk 30-40 ft., armed with long black 

 spines: Ivs. 10-12 ft. long, drooping; Ifts. 2 ft. long, 

 narrow, acuminate, scurfy beneath: fr. spherical, %in. 

 diam. Malaya. N. 



ONION. All the onions of common or general culti- 

 vation are forms of one variable species, Allium Cepa 

 (see Allium, Volume I). It is probably native to south- 

 western Asia, but it has been long domesticated and 

 has varied much. Other cultivated species are A . fistu- 

 losum (Fig. 2583), A. Porrum (Fig. 2484), and A. 

 Schcenoprasum (Fig. 2585). 



The onion is grown primarily for its bulbs, but the 

 leaves are sometimes used as seasoning and in stews. 

 Under long-continued cultivation and selection, the 

 bulbs have developed into large and shapely organs. 

 Now and then the bulb does not develop and the neck 

 (or stalk just above the bulb) remains relatively thick: 

 such onions are "scullions." Seeds from poorly selected 

 or deteriorated stock may be the cause of scullions: 

 they are to be considered as reverted or run-down 

 forms. Sometimes scullions result from very wet soil, 

 whereby the plants grow too much to top. Seeds grown 

 in the South or in a long-season climate tend to pro- 

 duce plants in short-season regions that do not "bottom" 

 before caught by frost. 



2582. Onion in flower. 



The onion is one of the hardiest of vegetable-garden 

 plants. In the southern climates it is grown largely as a 

 winter crop. In the northern states and Canada the 

 seeds are sown or the bulbs planted as soon as the ground 

 can be fitted in the spring. It is always best, if pos- 

 sible, to prepare the ground in autumn in order that 



the seeds may be sown on the first approach of warm 

 weather. When onions are grown from seeds, it is 

 essential that the ground be fine and loose, and all sur- 

 face stones and litter removed. The seeds are small and 

 do not germinate quickly. The young plants are sur- 

 face feeders. If the seed is sown late or if the ground is 

 droughty, the plants will either perish or make no 



2583. Welsh onion 

 Allium fistulosum. 



2484. Leek Allium 

 Porrum. 



headway. Land that is foul with weeds should not be 

 planted to onions, for the young onion plants cannot 

 withstand such competition. In the old-fashioned 

 gardens, it was the custom to plant onions in short 

 rows crosswise of raised beds. This entailed an endless 

 amount of small hand labor and usually resulted in 

 the expenditure of more time and effort than the onions 

 were worth. The better method is to grow the plants 

 in long rows which are far enough apart to admit of 

 the use of a wheel-hoe. Even when a small quantity of 

 onions is desired, it is better to place them all in one 

 row than to have many short rows. With the best of 

 land and management, and with the use of wheel-hoes, 

 more or less finger work will be necessary in order to 

 bring the crop to full perfection. The seed may be 

 sown thick in the home garden, and as the young plants 

 begin to crowd, they should be thinned. The plants 

 taken out in the second and third thinnings may be 

 used on the table (Fig. 2586). It is very important 

 that the best grade of seed be used, for the onion 

 deteriorates rapidly from seed which is not well grown 

 nor carefully selected. There are great numbers of 

 varieties. For early use and for variety, great num- 

 bers of kinds may be selected from reliable seed cata- 

 logues. Some of the quick-growing southern onions 

 are excellent for early use. Forms of onions are shown 

 in Fig. 2587. 



There are two general methods of propagating the 

 onion by seeds and by bulbs. Onions grown from 

 seeds are ordinarily called "black seed onions," although 

 there is no onion seed that is not black. The main field 

 crop is grown from seeds, as explained in the articles 

 which follow. The onion seed of the market is pro- 

 duced from full-grown and typical bulbs of the desired 

 variety. These bulbs are grown from seed and are 

 kept over winter as other onions are. In the spring 

 they are planted in rows 2 feet apart and as near 

 together in the row as they will stand. They send up 

 a flower-stalk which blooms in early summer (Fig. 

 2582), and the seed is harvested. 



Propagation by bulbs is employed for the purpose of 

 securing early onions for home use or for the special 

 early-season trade. Until within recent years, all the 



