Onions in the South. 163 



size insures uniformity of maturity and size of onions. 

 Mr. Nye, of Laredo, Texas, follows this plan of sorting 

 the young plants to uniform size and it is a rare thing 

 for him to have any "culls" in his crop. 



With a transplanted crop the entire field should be 

 plowed up as soon as well matured. The onions should 

 'be picked up and placed in rows in the field if weather 

 is dry and let cure two or three days. Place so that the 

 bulbs will not be exposed to the sun. Sun-burn. or sun- 

 scald starts rotting. If weather is showery or damp the 

 onions should be brought under cover and spread thinly 

 on a barn or shed floor, letting the tops remain on until 

 well dried. When ready to pack and ship the tops should 

 be clipped off close to the bulb, sheep shears being prefer- 

 able for the work. Handle carefully so as not to bruise. 

 If the onions are to be marketed locally and in small quan- 

 tities we advise leaving the tops on the bulbs until ready 

 to market, especially so in humid climates like Florida 

 and the Gulf Coast. Clipped onions will often rot in 

 four to six weeks in humid climates while we have seen 

 Bermudas with the top or "straw" left on and spread thin 

 keep until Christmas, the onions being harvested in April. 



Fertilizing and Feetilizees. 



Onions require either a naturally rich soil or heavy 

 fertilizing to make good size. If your soil is not fertile 

 make it so with well-rotted manure or commercial fertiliz- 

 ers. In many onion growing sections manure in sufficient 

 quantity is unobtainable. If this be your case, commer- 

 cial fertilizers are necessary. If your soil is sandy, or 

 sandy loam, use fertilizer containing 6 per cent, available 



