ONION SETS. 67 
onion sets are preserved in that climate for six months 
or longer, and are usually almost as fresh in appearance 
at the end of that time as they were at the beginning. 
Cleaning.—To clean onion sets properly, the weather 
should be dry and warm. For the purpose, a quarter- 
inch meshed wire screen twelve to fourteen feet ‘long, 
three feet in width, is generally used after the following 
manner. 
Sets are gathered from the windrows after the dew is 
off in the morning, say about nine o’clock, and are 
first placed on canvas or boards to dry off. This is to 
be done in the shade, so as to avoid sunburn; sets: must 
not be exposed to the direct rays of the sun. When 
they have become thoroughly dry, cleaning is in order. 
This is performed by simply rubbing them back and 
forth on the screen until they are cleaned from tops, 
roots and dirt, when they are pushed out of one end of 
it into bushel baskets. 
Storing.—Onion sets are best preserved at a uni- 
formly low, dry temperature, with absence of light; 
above everything, moisture and heating in bulk should 
be guarded against. To avoid gathering moisture and 
heating, they should not be packed over six inches in 
depth. If they become too warm they will start to 
growing. In the fall and spring the room in which 
they are stored, while it should be darkened, should 
have free circulation of air by opening the doors and 
windows, especially on warm, clear days; besides which, 
the sets should be stirred and turned over about twice 
a week. : 
Sets will bear a temperature down to 25 above 
zero without injury. But if they should chance to get 
frozen, do not handle or disturb them while in that 
condition; merely keep them covered as hereafter 
