New Onion Culture 319 



is planted out the following year, it sends up a stalk 



and produces a new crop of "tops." 



Very recently, early onions have been 

 grown to a considerable extent from 

 transplanted seedlings. 

 This method is known 

 as " the new onion cul- 

 ture." The plants 

 are started January, 



A mulSiie 9 r 2 onion. February Or March in Cross-seSfonof a mnl- 

 About X natural size, hotbeds Or the f Ore- tiplier onion ' 



ing- house, and are transplanted to the open when the 

 season will permit. The large quick-growing southern 

 types of onions, as Gibraltar and Prizetaker, may 

 be grown to perfection in the North by this method, 

 whereas the season may not be long enough for plants 

 started in the open. 



In the growing of the main season crop, earliness is 

 not particularly desired, and there is less necessity, there- 

 fore, of making heavy applications of fertilizers which 

 are quickly available. All onion lands need to be well 

 fertilized, however, particularly with the materials rather 

 rich in potash. Onions are relatively surface feeders, 

 therefore the top of the soil should be very finely pre- 

 pared, and the fertilizer should not be plowed under. 

 Every attention should be given to preventing the soil 

 from baking and to keeping the surface in uniformly 

 good tilth. Soils that become dry and hard produce 

 a poor crop of onions. The best soils are those that 

 are naturally loose and moist, therefore lowland areas 

 are nearly always selected for the growing of onions. 



