326 The Principles of Vegetable -Gardening 



they must be put in a frost -proof place. They must be 

 kept dry. Winter storehouses in the North are often pro- 

 vided with fire heat. Onions may be frozen with safety, 

 however, provided they do not thaw out until spring and 

 the thawing is then gradual. They may be stored in 

 the loft on the north side of a building, where the sun 

 does not strike the roof, and covered several feet thick 

 with straw or loose hay. In the spring the straw is 

 gradually removed and they are allowed to thaw slowly. 

 When the winter temperature is very uniform, this 

 method of keeping onions may be safe; but in regions 

 in which there are great fluctuations in winter tempera- 

 ture it is not to be recommended. In fact, it is always 

 hazardous. 



Most onion -growers prefer to sell the crop in the 

 fall. Usually it is put in temporary storage in open 

 sheds, much as corn is stored in the crib. One of these 

 sheds is shown in Fig. 98. There are wide spaces in 

 the outside boarding of the shed, and the floor is raised 

 a few inches above the ground and cracks are left in it. 

 The eaves should project enough to carry all water clear 

 of the sides. If the onions are dry and clean when 

 put into storage and the tops have been carefully re- 

 moved, the onions may be stored several feet deep in 

 narrow bins or cribs of this kind. 



Sow onion seed as early in the spring as the ground can be 

 made ready. In mild climates, seed is sometimes sown in the 

 fall. Sets, tops, and multipliers may be planted at intervals until 

 steady warm spring weather comes. 



One ounce of seed is sown in about 150 feet of drill, and 3% to 

 5 pounds to the acre. A good crop of onions is 300-400 bushels to 

 the acre, but 600-800 are secured under the very best conditions. 



