Family Liliaceae 293 



soft, or " thick necks" should be disposed of early, 

 as they keep very poorly in storage. Good storage 

 onions will rattle like wood blocks when poured out 

 from the crate. 



After curing in the sheds, the bulbs are sorted over 

 on the sorting racks where only the soundest are 

 stored away. In some localities, onions are stored 

 in pits. This may serve the purpose where only 

 small quantities are grown. On a large scale storage 

 plants (fig. 52 e g) are in operation. 



Storage Conditions. The essentials necessary in 

 storing onions are summarized by Beattie 1 as follows: 

 "Plenty of ventilation, storing in small quantities, 

 a comparatively low temperature, dryness, and safety 

 from actual freezing. " The construction of a storage 

 house is not different from that of a sweet potato 

 house, see p. 182. The house should be double 

 walled throughout, with plenty of felt or paper 

 lining. In this way a dead air space in all the 

 walls will permit of more even indoor tempera- 

 tures. Top ventilation is provided by means of 

 roof ventilators. Bottom ventilation is secured 

 by means of bottom windows or drain pipes built 

 into the foundation at the surface of the ground. 

 A false floor is also constructed inside, leaving an 

 air space of about two to three inches from the 

 main floor. 



The temperature of the storage house should be as 

 low as possible, but kept above the freezing point, 

 i. e. above 32 to 36 degrees F. During severe cold 



1 Beattie, W. R., U. S. Dept. of Agr. Farm. Bui. 354 : 5-36, 1909, 



