224 CALIFORNIA VEGETABLES 



The foregoing is obviously for garden, not for field practice. 

 In fact, for field work, sets of any kind are not used to any extent 

 in California. 



Bottom sets from seed are grown by sowing the seed thickly, 

 allowing the plants to grow without thinning, and to mature by the 

 drying on the ground, when about the size of marbles. These are 

 then pulled, dried thoroughly on the surface of the ground and are 

 then stored in a cool, dry place until planted. 



Growing sets in California for planters in distant states is 

 largely undertaken in Orange county, and one grower, G. A. Mur- 

 dock, shipped one hundred and forty tons from thirty-five acres in 

 1910. The sowing is timed to get a succession in the product. The 

 early varieties, in 1911, began to be sown February 9th. Some- 

 times the crop goes in as early as December and January. Follow- 

 ing these comes the New Queen variety, which is followed by the 

 Brown Australian. The planting continues till June and the har- 

 vest of the late sown comes in the fall. The early sets are ready 

 for shipment in June and July, and go mainly to Texas and Georgia. 

 The handling of this business is described in this way: 



In preparing the sets for shipment the crop is first pulled and spread 

 on racks prepared for that purpose, to be dried in the sun for three to five 

 weeks. From the field the trays are hauled to the packing-house, where they 

 are dumped into the hopper of a large circular separator, run by machinery, 

 in which the tops are beaten off. In another machine, to which the onions 

 and chaff are conveyed by an endless belt, the chaff is blown out. Thence 

 the elevator takes the onions to the grading machine, which separates them 

 into four classes according to size, and from which another elevator carries 

 them upstairs, where a final sorting takes place. Here is a long row of 

 machines before each of which an operator sits to inspect the sets as they 

 pass along the carriage, while the defective sets are cast out. This double 

 sorting ensures a high grade product. From here the onions drop back to 

 the ground floor, where they are sacked and crated for shipment. The 

 average per acre is close to four and one-half tons, while six and seven are 

 frequent. 



Irrigation of Onions.- Though our onion crops are largely 

 grown without irrigation, it is often desirable to use water to carry 

 the summer growth to satisfactory size on coarse soils prone to dry 

 out. Water can be applied by any of the methods described in the 

 chapter on irrigation. Enough water should be used to secure 

 thrifty, but not excessive growth, and stirring of the ground after 

 irrigation should only be delayed long enough to bring the soil into 

 proper working condition. 



Sometimes transplanting is done in connection with irrigation. 

 The plants are properly trimmed and placed in the trenches along- 

 side the irrigating furrows, on a slant to keep the tops from the 

 wet ground (made so by applying the water). They will readily 

 take root, when they may be straightened up by the hoe. Some- 

 times the water may be passed through the trenches, when the 

 plants may be put in place by hand when the soil is in proper 

 condition. 



