242 GARDENING FOR PROFIT. 



the seed is sown quite thickly, and on poor soil, so as to 

 produce the " sets" as small as possible, for we find that 

 whenever they much exceed half an inch in diameter, 

 they will run to seed. It matters not how small the bulb 

 is ; even when of the size of the smallest Peas, they make 

 an equally good if not a better crop than if of a larger size. 

 The sets are taken up in August, well dried, placed 

 with the chaff among them in a loft of a stable or barn, 

 about four inches deep, covered up by six inches of hay 

 on the approach of hard frost, and left thus until wanted 

 for setting out in spring. This is the usual method of 

 raising Onion sets. 



But few market gardeners can grow them in the ordi- 

 nary manner, unless at a cost greater than they can be 

 purchased for from those who make a business of grow- 

 ing them. But the price paid for sets the past six or 

 eight years has been so high that many market gardeners 

 have abandoned growing Onions from them. 



For Onion sets the best soil of the garden is chosen, 

 manured with short, well-rotted manure, plowed in at 

 the rate of seventy-five tons to the acre. When only con- 

 centrated manures can be obtained, crashed bone is pre- 

 ferable to guano (for quantity see Chapter on Manures). 

 The ground "is further deeply harrowed, finishing with 

 the smoothing harrow (see Implements), or, if on a small 

 scale, smoothed fine with the rake. The line is now 

 stretched along the bed, and the nine-inch marker again 

 makes the drills, six in each bed, with the seventh 

 rubbed out for an alley. The sets are now planted in the 

 drills at a distance of two to three inches apart, pressing 

 each bulb down firmly, so that it will keep right side up. 

 The row is then closed in by the feet or a rake, so that 

 the set is entirely covered up. The ground is then rolled 

 over, so as to render it still more compact around the 

 bulbs ; as soon as the lines can be traced, by the Onions 

 starting to grow, the hoe is applied between the rows. 



