162 Teuok Geowing in the South. 



surface feeder and cultivation should only be deep enough 

 to kill young grass and weeds and prevent the formation 

 of a crusted surface. When plants are about six inches 

 high the thinning out process should begin — leaving, on 

 average good quality land, one strong plant every four to 

 five inches in the row. "Skips" or missed stand places 

 will usually be found in the rows and these can be filled 

 from surplus plants from other places. In very rich soil 

 they can be left as close as three inches in the row. The 

 greater part of the growth of this crop is in winter when 

 the weed and grass growth is at a minimum ; at the same 

 time the few weeds that do come should be promptly re- 

 moved. Keep the crop growing as steadily as possible, 

 this being done by the frequent cultivations. An onion 

 crop frequently checked in its growth will invariably 

 make many "thick-necks" or "scallions" and throw up 

 seed heads about time of maturity. 



The first effort of the onion plant is to complete its 

 growth of top. This top growth must be practically com- 

 plete before the bulb begins to form. The beginning of 

 bulbing is indicated by the swelling at the base of the 

 plant. In Florida and along the Gulf this swelling be- 

 gins between March 1st and 15th and the bulb or onion is 

 usually matured in five to six weeks after, the maturity be- 

 ing indicated by the dying tops. 



If you have been working under the system of "sowing 

 to a stand" you will find it impossible to harvest the crop 

 satisfactorily at one time. The weaker plants will hardly 

 mature for two to four weeks after the strongest ones and 

 if plowed up when the first half of the crop is mature 

 there is bound to be a heavy waste. Sowing seed in beds 

 followed by transplanting with sorted plants of uniform 



