N^o. 133.] 353 



because Ihey would always be done and indeed overdone on the 

 outride while the inside was not at all done — so we had to cut 

 thera into smaller pieces. The onions occasionally are so l-arge 

 that one of them covers a breakfast plate eight inches in diameter. 

 Those onions are of the most perfect shape as if turned in a lathe 

 — their skins very thin — reddish color — the onion very tender, 

 delicate, free from that strong smell and taste which other onions 

 have— our people in CaliCornia eat them as one does apples. 



Mr. Slielton. — I found the onions by measurement, commonly, 

 five, six, and seven inches in diameter. They plant the seed in 

 February, in March they transplant them, and in June or- July 

 at farthest they are ripe. They often cover the ground entirely. 

 They require much moisture. As yet, no manure has been used 

 The onioLS are large at Horner's farm, but larger at Los Angeles. 

 They grow large on the coast of Mexico. The miners and some 

 others eat them as we do apples. The miners have given one 

 dollar a pound for them.' 



Austin Church, M. D., remarked that the onion, as well as 

 bulbous roots, usually bears drought well, on account of its 

 crowth in concentric layers. 



Mr. Slielton. — The climate of San Francisco is so mild that 

 tomatoes grow all winter in the open air. 



Mr. Holmes. — How do you get in ice for summer use ? 



Mr. Shelton. — Boston sends us some, which sells at ten or 

 twelve cents a pound weight. We get some snow from the moun- 

 tain-. We are looking to our northerly regions for it. We have 

 heads of lettuce weighing three or four pounds apiece very solid. 

 i We cut them as we do cabbage, for cold slices. All kinds of let- 

 tuce head well. Radishes are fit for the table in thirty-one days 

 I from the seed. I have the roots growing, with the tops two or 

 I three feet high from the grouiKl, and as large as my leg. 



Mr. Dye. — I first saw radishes brought for sale which were 

 I from one and a half to two inches in diameter. I objected to 

 their large size, supposing they were, as ours of that sizecommon- 

 [Assembly No. 133.] 28 



