GROWING RIPE OXIOXS FROM SEED 



163 



spring in central and northern latitudes, or of fall and winter in 

 southern localities. As a commercial crop they are of minor 

 importance as compared with ripe onions. 



Ripe onions may be produced in three different ways: (1) 

 by sowing the seed in the open field where the crop is to mature; 

 (2) by transplanting seedlings that have been started under glass 

 or in a seed-bed, and (3) by planting sets. The bulk of the 

 onion crop of the United States is produced from seed sown directly 

 in the field. 



Fig. 100. — A well-cured sample of dry or ripe onions. The picture was taken in the spring 

 after the onions had been kept all winter. 



GROWING RIPE ONIONS FROM SEED 



Land for the production of ripe onions should be exceedingly 

 rich. It is preferable to use land that has been heavily manured 

 for other crops two or three years preceding its use for onions, 

 rather than to start with a piece of ordinary land and attempt to 

 make it rich enough for onions in one season. Ordinary land is 

 also likely to contain too many weed seeds to make onion growing 

 profitable until after tv/o or three years of preparatory cropping 



