ONIONS 317 



If the sun is bright and hot during this curing period, it is well 

 to scatter a very thin layer of straw over the curing windrows, or 

 to carry the bulbs to sheds where they can be placed on elevated 

 racks and protected from the sun but at the same time exposed 

 to a free circulation of air. If, because of the heat or too fre- 

 quent showers, some of the tops still adhere to the onions when 

 they are to be removed from the field, the tops should be cut off 

 to an inch above the crown of the bulb with a pair of scissors or 

 sheep shears. The bulbs should then be spread thinly upon the 

 curing floors, or on racks in open sheds where they can become 

 thoroughly dried. 



Topping. Topping is done either by twisting off the dry tops by 

 hand or by clipping them off with shears of some sort. Hand 

 methods are recommended for onions that are to be placed in 

 storage, as the mechanical toppers often used in extensive field 

 operations are apt to bruise the bulbs and cause them to decay 

 in storage. 



Storing and freezing. At the North, where the winters are con- 

 tinuously cold, and freezing and thawing can be prevented, onions 

 are frequently stored and frozen. Sheds, barn lofts, or similar 

 places serve as storage houses. Floors for such buildings are made 

 of poles or of slats 2\ or 3 inches wide, with a space of I or 



2 inches between them. This rack is then covered with clean 

 straw or marsh hay to a depth of 3 or 4 inches, so that when the 

 covering is pressed down it will form a mat about 2 inches thick. 

 The onions are placed on top of this so as to make a layer from 



3 to 6 or 8 inches thick. A second layer of straw is then added, 

 and another layer of onions. It is best, however, to provide a 

 separate rack covered with a mat of straw for each layer of onions. 



If the season is not sufficiently advanced to freeze the onions at 

 storing time, the building should be closed and the temperature 

 held above the freezing point until settled freezing weather sets in, 

 when it should be opened on cold nights to freeze the onions. 

 They should be thoroughly frozen, and kept in this condition until 

 frost is gradually drawn out of the ground by the warmth of the 

 spring season. While the onions are frozen they should not be 

 disturbed, neither should they be allowed to thaw before spring, 

 as this would be destructive to them. 



