THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 313 



shrink considerably while in storage it is necessary to regrade before 

 placing upon the market. 



Weight of Onions. The legal weight of onions per bushel 

 varies somewhat in different States, but 56 pounds of dry onions are 

 generally considered a standard bushel. 



Important Commercial Varieties. The varieties of onions that 

 have distinctively yellow, white, and red skins and are of the glob- 

 ular type are of greatest commercial importance. Among the vari- 

 eties that belong to the yellow globe class are the Prizetaker, Yellow 

 Danvers, Yellow Globe, Danvers, Southport Yellow Globe, and Ohio 

 Yellow Globe. The principal white varieties are Southport White 

 Globe, New Queen, Italian Tripoli, Silver Skin, and White Silver 

 King. Among the more important red sorts are Red Globe, Red 

 Wethersfield, and Australian Brown. The principal Bermuda 

 varieties are Red Bermuda, White Bermuda and Crystal Wax. The 

 Bermuda onions are all of the more or less flat type. The red color- 

 ation of the Bermuda onion is not distinctive like that of the Red 

 Wethersfield or Red Globe varieties, but is lighter in color. The 

 famous Denia onion is somewhat of the Prizetaker type, is light 

 yellow in color, grows to a large size, and is mild in flavor. In the 

 selection of varieties for any particular locality the soil conditions 

 and market requirements should both be considered. Those adapted 

 to the muck soils are the yellow and red sorts. For alluvial and 

 prairie soils the red and brown varieties are to be preferred, while all 

 kinds do well on the sandy loams and light soils. A cleaner, better 

 grade of white onions can generally be produced on light or sandy 

 soils than on muck or clay loams. Those of the Bermuda, Spanish, 

 and Egyptian types flourish on the deep, rich alluvial soils of the 

 river bottoms and delta regions. Certain of our markets show a 

 decided preference for onions belonging to a particular type. The 

 red and brown varieties find ready sale on the markets of the Middle 

 West, while onions of the yellow and white varieties are preferred in 

 the eastern cities. Onions will withstand long-distance shipment, 

 those of the Red Globe type being generally more subject to injury 

 than the yellow and brown sorts. Some of the white varieties also 

 have a thin skin and are easily injured. It should be the aim of 

 every grower to employ varieties that will withstand handling and at 

 the same time find ready sale on the market. Other types of onions 

 are top onions, multipliers, garlic, and leeks, which are planted to 

 some extent for marketing purposes. 



Bermuda Onions. The production of Bermuda onions in the 

 United States is a comparatively new industry and has thus far been 

 undertaken mainly in Texas and California. Soils of a silty or 

 alluvial nature are suited to the production of Bermuda onions, and 

 those containing considerable sand are most desirable. The Ber- 

 muda requires a very rich soil for the best results, and this can only 

 be obtained by first selecting a good soil and then manuring heavily. 

 The Bermuda onion as grown in this country is a winter crop ; there- 

 fore, mild climatic conditions are required. While the plants would 

 withstand considerable freezing, their growth is seriously checked by 



