ONIONS 143 



desirable flavor. The Prizetaker, a very large yellow 

 onion, often sold in the stores as the Spanish onion, 

 may also be grown ; but it is not wise to try to grow 

 it from seed, except in the southern states. In the 

 South, the flat white onion is a great favorite. It is 

 very early, having the mild, sweet flavor which has 

 given the Bermuda onion its great popularity. 



Three Methods of Growing 



Onions are planted in three ways : from seed, from 

 sprouts, and from sets. The sprouts are the young, 

 green plants, six weeks or two months old, which 

 are transplanted to the garden like cabbages. The 

 sets are tiny onions, grown the fall previous, and 

 planted like tulip bulbs, instead of seeds. All 

 three, of these methods are used successfully by 

 gardeners in all parts of the country. 



Growing Onions from Seed 



Preparing the Soil. — In growing onions from seed, 

 pick out a smooth, fertile spot and work over the 

 ground thoroughly. Unless you have dressing which 

 can easily be broken up and mixed with the soil, 

 it is better to use commercial fertilizer. Ten or 

 fifteen pounds to the twenty-foot square should be 

 worked into the soil a day or so before planting. It 

 is safer to turn the ground over twice, several days 

 before planting, if possible. This will help greatly 



