D. M. FERRY & GO'S DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. 



29 



J^^'Thorou^h preparation of the ground, careful sowing 

 and the best of after culture will avail nothing unless seed of 

 the best quality is sown. Given the same care and conditions, 

 the product from two lots of seed of the same variety, but 

 from different growers, may be so unequal in the quantitj' of 

 merchantable onions, that the good seed would have been the 

 cheaper at ten times the cost of the inferior. 



Our thorough equipment, with long experience in growing 

 onion seed of the very best quality, enables us to say, without 

 hesitation, that our 'stock is equal, if not superior, to any. 



EXTRA EARLY RED.— A medium sized flat variety: an 

 abundant producer, and very uniform in shape and size; 

 moderately strong flavored, and comes into use nearly two 

 weeks earlier than the Large Red Wethersfield ; very de.sirable 

 for early market use. 



LARGE RED WETHERSFIELD.— This is the standard 

 red variety and a favorite onion in the East, where immense 

 crops are grown for shipment. Large size: skin deep purp- 

 lish-red: form round, .somewhat flattened: flesh purplish- 

 white: moderately fine grained, and stronger flavored than 

 any of the other 'kinds. Very productive, the best keeper, 

 and one of the most popular for general cultivation. It is 

 more inclined to form large necks if planted on unsuitable 

 soil, than the Danvers. but is the best variety on poor or dry 

 soils. 



SOUTH PORT RED GLOBE For some years the onions 



from Southport have commanded an extra price in the New- 

 York markets, because of their beautiful shape and color. 

 The variety is of medium size, spherical, with small neck, 

 very deep. rich, red color, and of superior quality. 



YELLOW DANVERS.— A fine productive variety of med- 

 ium size, skin coppery -yellow; flesh white, comparatively mild 



and well flavored. 



YELLOW GLOBE 

 DANVERS. - The 



ideal Danvers onion 

 was originally oval 

 or nearl}' flat, and 

 it has been thought 

 by manj- that its 

 small neck and 

 splendid ripening 

 haljit could only be 

 obtained in onions 

 of that shape, but 

 we have, by careful 

 selection and breed- 

 ing, developed a 

 strain having to a 

 remarkable degree 

 the ripening haVtit 

 and small neck of 

 the original Dan- 

 vers. and yet decid- 

 edly globular in 

 form, thus giving 

 larger yields, and 

 handsomer bulbs 

 without sacrificing 

 anj- of the good 

 qualities of the most 

 popular of yellow 

 onions. A trial will 



convince the most conservative planter that this is a real 



improvement. 

 LARGE YELLOW DUTCH, OR STRASBURQ.-One of 



the oldest sorts. Flat, flesh white, fine grained, mild and well 



flavored. 



MICHIGAN YELLOW GLOBE.-The largest crops of 

 onions are always jjroduced on rich, Ijlack lands. On such 

 soils it is found that a glolie shaped onion gives the largest 

 returns, and to meet the demands of the professional onion 

 growers located on such lands, we have developed this variety. 

 The bulbs are large and uniformly spherical, with verj^ small 

 necks: of a rich orange-yellow color, enormous yieldei"s and 

 splendid keepers. No onion grower can aff'ord to plant 

 inferior seed when such as this can be procured. 



MAMMOTH YELLOW SPANISH, OR PRIZETAKER.— 

 An immense globular onion. Skin j'ellowisli-brown; fle.sh 

 white, mild and tender. If started very early in hot beds it 

 will produce a manunoth onion the first season. 



SOUTHPORT YELLOW GLOBE. -This onion is spherical 

 and of medium size. The color is a rich yellow, and the qual- 

 ity excellent. * 



WHITE PORTUGAL, OR AMERICAN SILVERSKIN.— 



xV large, flat onion of mild flavo:-: line for early winter use, 

 and much esteemed for pickling. It is the best keeper of the 

 white varieties. 



WHITE SILVERSKIN.-The bulbs are comparatively 

 small and very white. Grow rapidly when young. Very 

 valuable for bunching. 



WHITE GLOBE.— Yields abundantly, producing handsome 

 and uniformly globe shaped bulbs. The flesh is firm, fine 

 grainefl. and of mild flavor. Sometimes called Southport 

 White Globe. 



EL PASO, OR LARGE HEXICAN.-Grows in Mexico to a 

 diameter of six niches, and to a weight of two or three 



YELLOW GLOBE DANVERS. 



pounds, and used in that region in preference to any other 

 sort. Color variable from white to light red: flesh white, 

 rather coarse grained, but of very mild flavor. Resembles a 

 Mammoth White Portugal. 



ROUND WHITE SILVERSKIN.-This is uniformly early. 

 small, round and handsome, with an opaque white skin. 

 which does' not turn green upon exposure to the sun. They 

 are also very compact and hard, but at the same time crisp 

 and brittle, making them the best pickling onion. 



FOREIGN ONIONS. 



The following varieties have been tested in this country', and 

 have given perfect satisfaction. The flavor of the Italian var 

 ieties is mild, and they are every way well adapted to culinar}- 

 purposes. 



QUEEN. — A silver skinned variety, of quick growth and 

 remarkable keeping qualities. If sown in early spring it will 

 produce onions one to two inches in diameter early in summer, 

 and if sown in Jul}*, will, with favorable weather' be ready to 

 pull late in autumn, and be sound and fit for use until the fol- 

 lowing .summer. Particularly valuable for pickles. If sown 

 thickly, they will mature perfect, hard onions from one-half 

 to three-quarters of an inch in diameter. 



EARLY NEAPOLITAN MARZAJOLA.-A beautiful, flat. 

 white skinned variety, one of the earliest of all. and a good 

 keeper. It can be sown in February or March, and will ma- 

 ture a crop very early in the season: or if .sown in July, the 

 crop will mature the same season. In the South the seed can 

 be sown in the autumn, and large onions produced in 3Iarch. 

 Known also as Early May. 



GIANT WHITE ITALIAN TRIPOLI.— A large, beautiful, 

 pure white, flat onion of mild and excellent flavor. Will pro- 

 duce a somewhat larger onion from seed than our White 

 Portugal: but to attain their full size the plants should be 

 started very early in a hot-bed and set out in rich soil. 



MAMMOTH SILVER KING.— An enormously large, flat, 

 onion, resembling the White Italian Tripoli, but is larger, 

 slightly later and a better keeper, making it better suited for 

 fall and early winter market. Skin silvery white, flesh pure 

 white, very tender and mild flavored. 



GIANT ROCCA. — An immense onion. Globular in form; 

 skin light brown: flesh mild and tender. It will produce a 

 large onion from seed the first season, but to attain the largest 

 growth, very small liulbs or sets should be set out the second 

 spring, when they will continue increasing in size, instead of 

 l^roducing .seed, as is the case with American onions. 



BULBS. 



TOP SETS, OR BUTTONS.— These produce on the top of 

 the stalk instead of seed, a number of small bulbs or onions, 

 about the size of acorns, which, if planted, will produce a 

 large onion, maturing earlier than from seed. The large 

 onion produces the top onion, and the little top onion pro- 

 duces the large onion. 



RED BOTTOn SETS.— Produced by sowing seed very 

 thickly in the spring and not thinning out. They mature 

 under this method when about half an inch in diauieter: and 

 are used precisely as top onions are. setting them out in the 

 spring, instead of sowing seed. 



YELLOW BOTTOn SETS. -Identical with the preceding, 

 excei^t in color, and u.sed in the same manner. 



WHITE BOTTOM SETS.-The seed of the White ^Iver- 

 skin or White Portugal vai'ieties is used to produce the white 

 set. They do not keep as well as the red or yellow, but pro- 

 duce beautiful white onions early in the season. 



The preceding four varieties are recommended for a small 

 early crop for family use and early home market, but not for 

 a main crop: the increase of marketable onions over the seed 

 being too small. Of all the vin-ions modes of propayation, 

 solving the seed for a main crop dcserces tliejirst rank. Its 

 cheapness compared ivith other modes, the facility icith 

 icliicli seed is soicn,and the superior ballyS which it produces, 

 recommend it to general use. 



WHITE GLOBE. 



