324 GARDEN FARMING 



Bunch onions from sets. The set onions may be tiny bulblets 

 produced at the top of the stalk of a type of onions that reproduce 

 themselves in this manner. Commercial onion sets are, however, 

 more often produced by sowing ordinary seed of the onion very 

 thickly in broad rows. Set onions of this type are usually planted 

 in the spring rather than in the autumn and are used for the 

 same purpose as are the potato onions. 



Seed growing. For the selection of soil and the methods of pre- 

 paring the ground, cultivating, fertilizing, and storing the bulbs 

 from which the seed is to be grown, the directions already given 

 are applicable. After the soil has been properly prepared, cover 

 the onions in trenches 4 or 5 inches deep, allowing about 6 inches 

 between the bulbs. The rows, if to be worked by hand, should be 

 from 14 to 1 8 inches apart ; but if horse power is to be used, they 

 should be at least 2^ feet apart. In the East it is important to 

 plant the onions as early as the spring weather will permit. In the 

 seed-growing sections of California the winters are not severe, 

 and it is the common practice to plant in the autumn. 



After the seed stalks are well started, the soil should be thrown 

 to the plants to give them the necessary support. This should be 

 done several times during the season, finally leaving a ridge 7 or 

 8 inches high. Some growers prefer to support the plants by 

 means of twine stretched on either side of the rows. 



After the last cultivation the plants should be disturbed as little 

 as possible until the time for harvesting. Promptness in harvest- 

 ing is very important, for if delayed too long the seed receptacles 

 burst open and a part of the crop will be lost in handling. When 

 the tops assume a yellowish appearance, remove them with 5 or 

 6 inches of the stem and, if overripe, deposit in tight vessels or 

 in cloth-lined baskets to prevent loss. The entire crop does not 

 mature at the same time, and it is therefore necessary to make 

 three or four cuttings in order to remove the seed at the proper 

 state of ripeness. Until dry enough for threshing, the tops should 

 be stored in well-ventilated rooms having a tight floor. Fre- 

 quent turning of the tops will hasten their drying and shake, out 

 more than half the seed. The remaining seed may be removed by 

 flailing. In California, where there is little danger from rain, the 

 seed heads, as they are cut, are spread upon sheets and frequently 



