74 ALLIACEOUS PLANTS. 



its " white color, in contrast with the fine green veins, or 

 lines, gives it a very agreeable appearance. For pickling, 

 the seed should be sown thickly, then slightly covered with 

 fine soil, and afterwards rolled. If the seed is covered 

 more deeply, the bulb, from not being quite on the surface, 

 has a larger and thicker neck ; go that it loses its finely 

 rounded form, and is, moreover, less compact." 



This variety, erroneously known in New England as the 

 White Portugal, is unquestionably the true Silver -skin, 

 as described both by English and French authors. The 

 application of the term " Silver-skin " to the Common Yel- 

 low Onion, as extensively practised by seedsmen and mar- 

 ketmen in the Eastern States, is neither pertinent nor 

 authorized. 



Strasburg. This is the variety most generally culti- 



YBLLolfsSlsBUBG. vated in Great Britain. Its form varies 

 from flat to globular or oval ; bulb large, 

 three inches wide, and full two inches in depth ; outside 

 coating brown, of firm texture. Divested of this, the color 

 is reddish-brown, tinged with grce'n. 

 Flavor mild and pleasant. It is a very 

 hardy sort, succeeds in cold localities, 

 and keeps well. 



The Strasburg and Deptford Onions 

 much resemble the common Yellow 

 Onion of New England ; and the differ- 



Strasburg Onion. 



ence between the sorts is not great, when 

 English-grown bulbs of the first-named varieties are com- 

 pared with the bulbs of the Yellow Onion, American-grown : 

 but seeds of the Strasburg or Deptford, raised in England, 

 and sown in this country, rarely produce plants that form 

 bulbs 3 generally or so perfectly as Americanrgrown seeds 

 of the Yellow Onion. 



The Dutch, Essex, and Flanders, found on seedsmen's cata- 

 logues, are not distinguishable from the Common Strasburg. 



