BIGGLE GARDEN BOOK 



remaining plants may be left until maturity (if that 

 is considered more profitable). 



A common system of culture is to plant sets in 

 the early spring instead of seed, and raise this vege- 

 table to bunch for the early market. The ground 

 can then be cleared and planted with a second crop 

 of something else. If preferred, mature bulbs may 

 be grown from the sets, and this method will insure 

 success in almost any soil. Spring-planted sets 

 should be covered about two inches deep, and spaced 

 two to four inches apart in the row, the latter dis- 

 tance being best if you want large onions. 



Another plan (called the "new onion culture") 

 followed to a considerable extent in recent years, is 

 to sow seeds of the large Spanish or Italian varieties, 

 such as Prizetaker, etc., in the hotbed and then trans- 

 plant into the field at the earliest possible date. 



(These very large 

 varieties need this 

 early hotbed start to 

 insure maturity in the 

 short season of the 

 North. Farther south 

 they may be started 

 in coldframes or 

 sown in the fall out- 

 doors.) This method 

 is fully described in 

 Farmers' Bulletin No. 39. Better get a copy. 



A favorite plan with many gardeners is to plant 

 sets about three inches deep outdoors in late August 

 or early fall, using the Egyptian or winter varieties. 

 This method insures a crop of green onions for 

 bunching at the earliest possible date. (Onions are 

 very hardy in the ground outdoors, but in the North 



HAND-WEEDING IS A LABORIOUS BUT 

 NECESSARY DETAIL 



