90 



ONIONS FOR PROFIT. 



moisture is on them. They may then be stored — not in 

 boxes, baskets, crates, or barrels, but spread out thinly on 

 a dry floor or on airy shelves, then cleaned and prepared 

 for market at leisure. 



Children can do the job of cleaning the bulbs quite well. 

 By rolling and rubbing the dry bulbs about in sieves, or in 

 a drum made for the purpose (such as illustrated in Fig. 

 44), they are easily separated from tops and roots. Finally, 



Sieve Drum for Cleaning Onion Sets and Pickling Onions. 



run them once or twice through a fanning-mill to free them 

 from dried skins, tops, and other light rubbish. 



When preparing them for market, the largest bulbs should 

 be sorted out, and each grade put up by itself. Uniformity 

 in size adds greatly to the attractiveness of the lot and per- 

 haps to its money value. The demand in our markets 

 usually begins with September and lasts into October. 

 Gardeners who sell vegetables to consumers on a regular 

 route from the wagon will find that Barletta onions " take 

 well" in early autumn, and readily sell at from 10 to 15 

 cents per quart. 



