1462 



ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 



tors that scatter the fertilizer broadcast, 

 but where an amount not exceeding 1,000 

 pounds of fertilizer to the acre is being 

 used the work of distribution may be 

 performed by means of a common grain 

 drill having a fertilizer attachment. On 

 a small scale the work is generally per- 

 formed by hand. 



Transplanting Method of Growing Onions 

 The transplanting process, often spoken 

 of as the "new onion culture," is merely 

 a modification of the regular seeding 

 method. The objects gained by trans- 

 planting are an earlier crop, a uniform 

 stand, and bulbs of more regular size. 

 Practically the entire Bermuda crop of 

 the Southern states is handled in this 

 manner. Where a small area is to be 

 grown, the transplanting process is the 

 ideal method, but for large acreages and 

 where labor is difficult to obtain this 

 would not be practical. After transplant- 

 ing, the seedlings will require rain or 

 watering in order that they may start, 

 and for this reason the transplanting pro- 

 cess is practically limited to areas where 

 some form of irrigation is available. 

 Propagation by Sets 

 The use of sets is still another modifica- 



tion of the regular seedling method, in 

 which the seed is planted one year to 

 form the sets from which to grow a crop 

 of mature onions the following year. 

 Like the transplanting process the use of 

 sets is limited in its application. Onions 

 grown from sets will ripen earlier than 

 those from seed sown in the field, but the 

 use of sets for commercial onion grow- 

 ing is not so practical as transplanting 

 seedlings. In planting onion sets a fur- 

 row about two inches deep is opened, the 

 sets being dropped about three inches 

 apart and firmly covered. For best re- 

 sults the sets should be placed in an up- 

 right position. The quantity of sets re- 

 quired to plant an acre will depend upon 

 their individual size and planting dis- 

 tances, but it is generally between eight 

 and nine bushels. The price of sets at 

 planting time is generally about $2.50 a 

 bushel, or $20 for an acre. 



Methods of Tillage 



The cultural requirements of the onion 

 are frequent shallow stirring of the soil 

 and freedom from weeds. The feeding 

 roots of the onion run close to the surface 

 of the soil and should not be disturbed 

 by deep cultivation. Sometimes a heavy 



Fig. 1. Special Wheel Hoes for Cultivating Onions. 



