1140 



ONION 



ONOCLEA 



substances which are required to give the desired 

 amounts of each of the three elements: 



c 1,600 to 3.200 Ibs. cotton-seed meal. 



I 1,400 to 2,800 Ibs. guano.* 

 Nitrouen. < 1,000 to 2,000 Ibs. dried blood. 



I 700 to 1,400 Ibs. nitrate of soda. 



I 500 to 1,000 Ibs. sulph. ammonia. 



DK -^ J 1 20 to 2,400 Ibs. acid phos. 

 los. acia dissolved bon6t 



f 2,200 to 4,400 Ibs. kainit. 



-p , , 1 700 to 1,400 Ibs. low-grade sulf ate of potash. 

 otasn. . . i 36Q to 72Q lbg hign . grade su if a te of potash. 



I 360 to 720 Ibs. muriate of potash. 



* If guano is used, reduce the potash 33 per cent and the 

 phosphoric acid 50 per cent, since guano contains large per- 

 centages of these elements. 



Seeding. Seed-sowing in the field occurs in the 

 upper districts as early as the first of April or a little 

 earlier, in the central district about the last of Febru- 

 ary, while in the Gulf region it may occur late in fall or 

 any time during the winter, being gauged largely by the 

 time required for the variety to mature, and the market 

 to be met. It is a good rule to put on an abundance 

 of seed, about twice as much as recommended in gen- 

 eral, especially in the Gulf region. Many fields suffer 

 from deficient stand more than from any other cause, 

 and in some years it is the only cause for an unprofi- 

 table crop. 



Sets. Good crops may be grown from sets, but the 

 labor involved and cost of the seed " is usually so 

 great as to deter many from planting them. In using 

 sets they should be separated into three or four grades, 

 the largest size maturing earliest and the smallest 

 last. In most cases the smallest sets grow such inferior 

 Onions that they would better be discarded. This takes 

 for granted that the sets were all grown at the same 

 time and from the same seed in one field. 



Growing Sets. Nearly all the sets used in the South 

 are shipped in, while they may be grown as well here 

 as anywhere. In the Gulf region there is time enough 

 to grow a crop of sets after the northern crop has been 

 harvested and marketed. Thus in case of shortage in 

 northern-grown sets, it is entirely practicable to ship 

 the seed south, grow sets, and ship sets back in time 

 for spring market. 



The New Onion Culture. Much has been written 

 and spoken about raising the plants in a seed-bed and 

 then transplanting to the field. While this may be prac- 

 ticed successfully, the greater quantity of Onions is 

 raised by the old-fashioned method, i. e., by seeding in 

 the drills where the plants 

 are to mature bulbs. 



In certain localities it is 

 advantageous to plant out a 

 seed-bed before the general 

 field will permit working, 

 and then transplant as soon 

 as all conditions are favor- 

 able. In the upper districts 

 of the South, seed may be 

 sown in hotbeds as early as 

 the first of February, and 

 the plants may usually be 

 set out by the first of April. 

 In the central South, seed 

 may be sown in protected 

 coldframes as early as the 

 middle of December, or in 

 an open bed in February. 

 The earlier plants may be 

 transferred to the field by 

 the last of February, or as 

 soon as danger from frosts 

 is past. In the Gulf region 

 the seed may be sown dur- 

 ing the fall in an open bed. 

 and transplanting to the 

 field may occur when plants 

 are of proper size and favor- 

 able condition of weather prevails. 



Harvesting is often attended with considerable diffi- 

 culty, and in some cases special drying houses have to 

 be constructed to secure the crop in first-class condi- 



1538. Creole Onion. 



tion. The crop is a perishable one, and must be pulled, 

 gathered and shipped in as short a time as possible, 

 when sufficiently mature. 



There seems to be no generally accepted plan for 

 marketing, the crop being placed in boxes, barrels or 

 bags for shipping. 



Varieties. The following varieties have given good 

 crops in the hands of expert growers and may be recom- 

 mended for the entire South : White Bermuda, Red 

 Bermuda, Prizetaker, Yellow Danvers, Giant White 

 Italian, Giant Rocco, and Large Tripoli. Other varieties 

 than those named here have given as good or better re- 

 turns, but do not seem to have been so generally success- 

 ful. In addition, are Creole (Fig. 1538) for Gulf region 

 and Red Wethersfield for central and upper district. 



Diseases. Black Mold (Macrosporium Porri): This 

 disease spreads rapidly over the field, especially late in 

 the season. Some good may be done by spraying with 

 Bordeaux mixture, but its application is limited almost 

 to the diseased portion. 



Smut ( Urocystis Cepulce) : The name of this fungus, 

 smut, describes it fairly well. About all that can be done 

 is to subject the field to rotation, and to sow seed from 

 smut-freedistricts. Some years nearlyall southern- grown 

 Onions brought to market will be more or less infected. 



Rotting is especially severe in wet seasons when the 

 crop cannot be properly handled, and is caused by a 

 number of fungi. Best preventive is to store in a dry 

 place, and consume as soon as practicable. 



Insects. Onion fly, or Onion maggot, is one of the 

 most severe pests when it enters the field. There 

 seems to be but little encouragement in combating the 

 pest. It often leaves the field as mysteriously as it 

 appeared. This disappearance has been coincident with 

 the application of some supposed remedy, and has con- 

 sequently led to the recommending of unreliable reme- 

 dies. A thorough application of ground tobacco stems 

 down the row seems to act as an insecticide and a repel- 

 lent, besides being of value as a fertilizer. 



Thrips: These insects attack the leaves at times, and 

 become so numerous as to cause the tips to turn brown 

 and finally destroy the whole leaf. Besides the insect 

 injury they open the way for such fungi as Macrospo- 

 rium. This insect may be treated successfully with 

 kerosene emulsion, tobacco decoction, resin wash and 

 possibly with kerosene-water mixture, p jj. ROLFS. 



ONION, SEA. Urginea maritima; also applied to 

 Ornithogahim caudatum. 



ON6BBYCHIS( Greek, asses 'food). Leyuminbsce. This 

 genus includes the forage plant called Sainfoin or Holy 

 Clover. It is a perennial herb, which grows a foot or 

 two high, and has numerous small, oblong Ifts. forming 

 an odd-pinnate leaf, and spikes of light pink fls., borne 

 in summer on long, axillary peduncles. Its stipules are 

 thin, brown and pointed. The pod is semi-circular, 

 flattish, wrinkled, and bordered with short prickles or 

 teeth. Sainfoin requires a limestone soil, and in the 

 U. S. is grown chiefly in the southern states. In 

 some sections it is considered indispensable, as it in- 

 creases the flow of milk. The seeds are thought to be 

 more nutritious than oats, and are eaten by fowls. A 

 hundred pounds of seed is sown to the acre. 



viciaefdlia, Scop. (O. satlva, Lam. Hedysarum Ow6b- 

 rychis, Neck.). SAINFOIN or SAINTFOIN. HOLY CLO- 

 VER. Described above. Eu., Asia. For a picture and 

 further information, see Bull. 2, Div. Agrost. IT. S. 

 Dept. of Agric., by Jared G. Smith. 



ONOCLEA (Greek closed vessel; alluding to the 

 closely rolled sporophylls). Polypodiacece. A small 

 genus of coarse ferns of north temperate regions, with 

 creeping rootstocks, anastomosing veins and two sorts 

 of leaves, the segments of the sporophylls being closely 

 rolled about the sporangia into bead-like bodies. For 

 O. Strnthiopteris, see Matteiiccia. 



sensibilis, Linn. SENSITIVE-FERN. Fig. 1539. Our 

 native species, with broad triangular Ivs., growing in 

 low, wet places. L> M> UNDERWOOD. 



Onocleas are tenacious of life, and will grow under 

 almost any conditions, especially O. sensibilis, but 



