TRANSPLANTED ONIONS 245 



but it is really an old practice in the south of Europe, and has been 

 followed in California for a quarter of a century or more in prefer- 

 ence to starting from onion sets. It is a fact that transplanting pro- 

 duces more uniformly large onions than growth from the seed in 

 place, and the crop also reaches maturity sooner, as the transplanting 

 does not sacrifice the time gained by the earlier start in the seed-bed. 

 Employing these two points of advantage in a region suitable to 

 quick winter growth, a very early crop of mature onions is secured, 

 which sometimes strikes a bare market and is very profitable, while 

 the regular crop, coming in later, may be worth much less. 



Seedlings for transplanting are grown in California in the open 

 air, according to conditions for germination described - in Chapter 

 XL Where there is likelihood of heavy rains the raised bed de- 

 scribed in Chapter VII, is a safeguard, but where the soil naturally 

 drains well, or where rain is light, such arrangement is not neces- 

 sary. Nor is it necessary that the culture should be very deep. The 

 seed is started in the fall, when the rate of evaporation is reduced, 

 shallow culture promotes early growth and, if the soil has been 

 previously deeply moistened, there is no need of such deep work as 

 would be desirable if the plant was to pursue its full course in that 

 place. 



Some growers use a little bottom heat by covering in fresh 

 horse manure with the plow and shallow working the surface into 

 fine tilth. This practice is not essential. It is best suited to heavy 

 soil and ample moisture; it has an element of danger on light soil 

 with scant moisture. The seed is sown at different times in different 

 localities from September to November the early date in northern 

 California, for the rains come earlier, the weather is cooler and the 

 plants of slower growth. In the south a later start agrees better 

 with the rainfall, and more rapid growth brings the seedling to 

 planting-size in less time. 



The seed is usually thickly sown broadcast, lightly covered and 

 rolled or pressed down. The surface is protected from drying and 

 from packing by heavy rain, by a light mulch of fine manure, covered 

 with boards until the shoots appear, or covered with a single thick- 

 ness of old sacking until the shoots begin to pierce it. Any device 

 which keeps the surface moist and loose is applicable. The plants 

 usually reach a height of six or eight inches at time for trans- 

 planting. 



