The Early Onions 



145 



cores are separated and planted as if they were sets; or if 

 they do not readily separate in the hand, the entire onion 

 is planted and a cluster of young onions is produced. 



Multiplier onions seldom produce flowers and seeds. If 

 not harvested for green onions, the small bulb grows into 

 a large one which again breaks up into small ones. Some- 

 times the multiplier onions are planted in autumn. These 

 plants are really perennials, continuing themselves by suc- 

 cessive division of the bulb, whereas the ordinary seed 

 onion is usually biennial. 



All green or " bunch " onions, whether grown from bulbs 

 or seeds, may be planted very thick. Usually they stand 

 as close as 2 inches in the row. Often the rows are wide, 

 so that three or four bulbs may stand abreast, but this in- 

 creases the difficulties of tillage and weeding ; but it may be 

 said that weeds are usually not troublesome early in the 

 season, if the land is clean to start with. 



The little onions, or "acorns," from the flower-cluster 

 of the top onion resume growth in spring, as if they were 

 sets, and soon give an agreeable table 

 supply. If left in the ground, the fol- 

 lowing year they will send up flower- 

 stalks the same as will ordinary dry 

 onions; but instead of producing only 

 flowers and seeds, they will bear a 

 greater or lesser number of bulbels 

 with the flowers. In old gardens, even 

 in the Northern States, a row of these 

 plants is sometimes allowed to grow at will year after 

 year, supplying enough little bulbs to afford the table 

 supply of green onions. 



. Cross-section of a 

 multiplier onion, 

 showing the cores, 

 of -which there are 

 three in this case. 



