8o THE NEW ONION CULTURE 



Giant Zittau — A very large German onion of fine 

 quality. Surpassed here by our standard varieties, and 

 for size by Prizetaker and many of the foreign sorts. 



Prketaker — I am tempted to include this in the 

 list of American onions, although its origin is undis- 

 putably foreign. But seed of this famous onion has 

 been grown in America for many years, and the onion 

 now holds a secure place among our standard sorts. 

 Its name is inseparably interwoven with the "new 

 onion culture." Its introducer, Mr William Henry 

 Maule of Philadelphia, gives me the following data 

 about its history. He says : 



"I discovered the Prizetaker in the hands of a 

 gentleman residing in the Santa Clara valley, Califor- 

 nia, whom I happened to be visiting in the summer 

 of 1886, I was so impressed with it that I persuaded 

 him to plant all the bulbs he raised for seed, and agreed 

 to take all he had. It was first offered in my 1888 

 catalog, and since then has been one of my leading 

 specialties. It was some years before it became gen- 

 erally known, but finally, largely through the adver- 

 tising which you yourself gave it, its merits became 

 recognized, and to-day it is prominently listed in all 

 the leading American seed catalogs." 



This variety is a favorite with all growers who 

 follow the transplanting method. It gives more 

 general satisfaction than any other variety in the pro- 

 duction of bulbs from seed sown under glass, the 

 young plants being transferred to the open ground. 

 American grown seed is greatly preferred. The 

 Prizetaker is uniform and globular in form, and very 

 large, some specimens weighing from four to six 

 pounds having been grown in this country under 

 special cultivation, while from one to three pounds 

 are very common weights. It ripens well, and, if 

 properly cured, may be kept through the winter, 



