292 CALIFORNIA VEGETABLES. 



manure should be applied several months in advance of 

 planting that it may become thoroughly incorporated 

 with the soil. 



The great onion regions of the State are the lower 

 stretches of the rich coast valleys and the moist river 

 lands in the interior. Fine onions for local use are grown 

 on upland loams, with or without irrigation, according to 

 local climatic conditions. All these classes of lands are 

 distributed throughout the State. 



Propagation of the Onion. The onion is grown here, as 

 elsewhere, by three main lines of propagation : from seed 

 sown in the field; from transplanted seedlings and from 

 sets. The last is by far the least important in California, 

 and the choice between the other two depends upon the 

 special end in view, as will appear in the discussion of 

 them. 



The Crop from Seed. In this case the growth is to be 

 pushed continuously on the same ground from seed to 

 sack. The main crop is grown in this way, and for this 

 method California has manifest advantage in its long 

 growing season. Field-sowing can be done as early as 

 February, and on retentive soils moisture can be held by 

 summer cultivation, or on coarser soils by irrigation and 

 cultivation, until the bulbs reach as large a size as is de- 

 sirable for marketing. 



For seed-sowing the land should be as deeply and 

 thoroughly prepared as has already been prescribed for 

 sugar beets. The work should begin with fall plowing to 

 open the surface for absorption of rainfall, to be followed 

 later by a deep cross-plowing to fully turn in the crop of 

 weeds and grass which will come with moisture. After 

 that a shallow plowing or cultivation may be given to 

 kill later growth of weeds and to contribute to surface 

 pulverization. The seed should be sown when the advance 

 of the season warms the soil. The precise date depends 

 upon two considerations : first, the local rainfall, and, 

 second, the local weed growth. Where spring rains are 

 usually light, earlier sowing is best; where spring rains 



