272 THE CULTURE OF VEGETABLES 



in and either sold immediately or stored in a cool but dry place 

 for future use. 



Bunch onions for use or for sale, as green onions may be pro- 

 duced in one of two ways : 



1. Sow the seed of Silver Skin or other hardy white variety 

 of onion in late summer or early fall in soil such as that described 

 above. They should produce a good growth that fall, and in the 

 latitudes of Maryland and southward they should winter well 

 with no protection. Farther north they may be given a slight 

 mulching of clean straw during the winter. The crop is ready for 

 bunching for market or for use early the next spring. 



2. Onion sets may be planted a few inches apart in rows one 

 foot apart. This is usually done in the very early spring. The 

 crop is usually sold as bunch onions. It is produced quickly 

 because of the store of nourishment in the onion sets. 



There are three colors of onions popular on the market and 

 each market or section seems to have a preference for one of the 

 colors, either yellow, white or red. Seeds or onion sets of any of 

 these colors may be chosen to suit local markets. 



Leeks are sometimes considered superior to onions for soup 

 flavoring. The culture and soil are similar to those for onions. 

 Some hilling up of the soil at each side of the row is often prac- 

 ticed for the purpose of blanching the necks of the green plants. 

 They are sometimes grown in coldframes during the winter to 

 provide flavoring for use in the kitchen during the winter. 



Garlic has such a strong penetrating odor that a small bit of 

 it rubbed on the inside of the salad dish will flavor every morsel 

 in the whole dish. It is also used in flavoring soups and vegetable 

 dishes. The crop is propagated by small bulbs instead of by seeds. 

 These are planted as onion sets and the mature bulbs are stored 

 as ripe onions. 



Shallot bulbs are matured in clusters all attached to the same 

 base. These are broken apart and planted instead of planting the 

 seeds. These are started in the early fall in southern states, where 

 they may produce a good fall growth and remain in the garden over 

 winter for use during the open winter days or in early spring. 

 In the North, the bulbs are set out in early spring as is the prac- 

 tice with onion sets. 



Chives grow in dense tufts forming a matted sod. The slender 

 stems are used for flavoring purposes. When they are cut at any 

 season, new growth will be quickly formed. Propagation is ac- 



