392 



VEGETABLE GARDENING 



quired for an acre. It is evident that about 20 sash 

 must be employed to grow enough plants for an acre. 

 The cost and maintenance of the sash and the care of 

 the plants are more serious objections to the transplant- 

 ing method than the cost of setting in the field. The 

 plants must have good care to prevent damping off and 

 to secure a strong, stocky growth. After they reach the 

 height of about 5 inches they are clipped back weekly 

 to about 4 inches to induce stockiness. 



The plants should not be set 



in the open ground until after 

 danger of severe frost. Light 

 frosts will do no harm. They 

 should be thoroughly hardened 

 by gradually subjecting them to 

 lower temperatures and by wa- 

 tering more sparingly than at 

 first. Before transplanting both 

 roots and tops are cut back 

 severely. They will stand trans- 

 planting better if the tops are 

 shortened to about 3 inches. 

 When properly grown they will 

 FIG. 90. ONION PLANTS be at least the thickness of a 

 CUT BACK PREPARATORY slate pencil (Figure 90) when 

 TO TRANSPLANTING. transplanted. Dibbers are gen- 



erally employed in field plant- 

 ing. Watering is a great advantage after planting, 

 although it is not necessary if the ground is naturally 

 moist. To realize the largest profits by this method the 

 large bulbs should be packed in crates of the Bermuda 

 type. (Figure 91.) 



537. Growing from sets. Some market gardeners 

 plant sets in small areas to produce mature bulbs and 

 thousands of farmers depend upon them to supply the 

 required quantity of bunching onions and mature bulbs 



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