II 



planted with profit. Land that is planted to onions the first 

 time requires more seed than old land. If it is designed to 

 pull the onions when small for bunching for the early market, 

 then seven or eight pounds of seed will be required for an acre. 

 If the intent is to raise the very smallonio ns known as ^^setts," 

 which are stored over winter to be planted in the spring to 

 produce early onions, than a much larger quantity will be 

 required. On old beds where rust abounds, I have known 

 sixteen pounds of seed sown to the acre. Of course it is of 

 the first importance that the seed should be rehable. 



Compared with the average return of the crop, the cost of 

 good seed for planting an acre of land to onions, even at the 

 highest prices, is not to be considered a moment beside the 

 acceptance of doubtful seed everi as a gift; yet every onion- 

 growing community has had its stories to tell of cultivators 

 who have thrown away their time, labor and manure, by pur- 

 chasing doubtful seed at a Httle lower figure than that at 

 which reliable seed could be procured. New seed will some- 

 times fail to vegetate if planted a little too deep, or if snow 

 falls and remains on the ground after planting, or a rain falls 

 after raking and just before planting, though part of the same 

 piece planted but an hour before may come finely. 



The usual test for good seed, that is, seed that will vege- 

 tate, is the sinking of it ; that which will sink being consid- 

 ered rehable, and that which floats being considered worth- 

 less. This will answer as a general rule, but it is not wholly 

 reliable. Seed that will sink will not always vegetate, while 

 seed that will float, under some circumstances, will vege- 

 tate. Any farmer who tests his seed by the sinking process 

 will find that some of that which floats will vegetate, while no 

 farmer is safe in planting seed that is two years old, though it 

 will sink. Some farmers ascertained this latter fact to theii 



