ONIONS IN THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY 13 



one half of each plot the seed heads were removed as they appeared, while on 

 the other half the seed heads were allowed to develop. The size and average 

 weight of the sets and the number of bushels required for planting per acre were 

 as follows: 



Size Weight Bushels 



Inches Grams per acre 



Large % to 1 6.3 94.84 



Medium Y 2 to % 1.4 25.08 



Small l A^oY 2 0.5 8.18 



About three weeks after planting, a very marked difference in amount of 

 growth could be seen, that from the largest sets being several times larger than 

 that from the medium sets. Five weeks after planting, seed stalks from the 

 largest sets were much in evidence, but none were showing from the medium 

 or small sizes. Also, a considerable number of plants from the largest size were 

 showing divisions, but relatively few from the medium size. During this time 

 the seed heads were picked off at frequent intervals from the half of the plots 

 having this treatment. About 60 days after planting, count was made of the 

 number of plants having seed stalks or divided bulbs. The count was made on 

 100 consecutive plants in 5 different rows on each plot, or about 14 per cent of 

 the entire population, and the results are given in Table 3. The figures show that 

 removing the seed heads did not have a significant influence on number of seed 

 stalks or divided bulbs, also that so many of the large sets developed seed heads 

 or divided that the resultant crop of onions was of very poor quality. The number 

 of sets in the other two sizes which developed seed stalks or divided was insigni- 

 ficant. 



Ninety days after planting, most of the plants from the largest sets had fallen 

 over; but as the medium and small sizes were still upright, pulling was delayed 

 until 100 days from planting, and even then some of the small sets were still 

 growing. This tendency of the larger sets to mature early is a very desirable 

 factor under some circumstances. The tendency of sets of a similar size to start 

 growing and come to maturity at the same time is a very good trait to be con- 

 sidered in the production of onions from sets. 



At the time of clipping the onions, all having seed stalks were separated from 

 those which did not. It is a pretty well-recognized fact that an onion bulb grown 

 on a plant having a seed stalk is coarse and woody, and therefore of poor quality, 

 ■compared to one not having a seed stalk. It was, however, observed that the 



