C. C. MORSE & CO.— SEEDS -SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. 
Norse's onion seed 
HOW TO GROW ONIONS FOR MARKET 
The most essential item in growing Onions for market is good seed — seed that will come up and seed that will produce the variety 
you want — cheap seed is very poor economy. 
For general crop the seed must be sown during the month of January or before February 1st, and, if the location is a fairly dry one, 
it is best to sow about the middle of December. The seed should be sown with a seed drill in rows 14 inches apart, using 4 to 4% 
pounds of seed per acre. In very weedy land the rows may be 18 or 20 inches apart when less seed is required. 
For planting a single row of onions among strawberry plants about two pounds of seed per acre is sufficient. 
ha 
rrowing are necessar 
The land must be thoroughly worked before planting, and usually two good plowings, a good disking, and 
The crop must always be kept free from weeds, and it is usually necessary to weed out in the row by hand once or twice. Hoeing 
between the rows 
the hand weed 
nay be done oft 
It is not necessary to thin the plants in the row, since some thinnii 
. naturally done during 
Extra Early Red Flat 
Transplanting should nev( 
done 
The land chosen for onions should be wet land, preferably loose, sandy loam or peat, and should always be kept well drained. Heavy 
adobe or clay soil is good, but needs to be irrigated in May, June and July, and the onions are not so "well colored or even in shape in 
heavy, stiff soils. Steady, even growth is necessary to good onions, and a check in the growth, whether from disease or drought, causes 
them to run to seed badly. Onions are ready to harvest usually the latter part of August, when, with a good crop, the tops are pretty 
well ripened down. If the tops are still standing and green it is well to run a light roller or plank over them to press the tops down 
and the onions should be pulled in about ten days after this is done, whether the tops have dried off or not. It requires not less than 
two full weeks to properly cure onions after they are pulled. In localities where fog is prevalent it is best to spread the onions out on 
the ground, not more than one bulb deep. It is usual in other climates to throw into windrows a foot or more deep and cover lightly 
with straw or dried tops. It is best not to top and sack until ready to ship to market, and if onions are to be kept for any length of 
time they should not be sacked, but should be put under cover on a floor or in a bin, with abundant circulation of air, and be kept ab- 
solutely dry. 
The value of an onion crop is naturally dependent on the market and on 
the character of the land planted. Land that is very foul should usually be 
avoided as too expensive. Also avoid land which has just had a hay or 
grain crop, and if possible use land that has been planted to vegetables or 
some hoed crop, especially peas and beans. An onion crop should not be 
repeated more than three times on the same land, and usually twice is best, 
since onion diseases (of which there are many) appear very plentifully. An 
average crop runs from 150 to 200 centals (15,000 to 20,000 lbs.) per acre, 
and the cost represented by labor, rent, sacks and transportation is esti- 
mated roughly at f75 per acre. 
Another very good system of growing fancy market onions is by trans- 
planting. By this method the seed is sown in beds in August and September, 
and the plants are pulled and transplanted about February 15th to March 
1st. Put the plants six inches apart in lateral rows, 14 inches apart, when ,*g^f 
they make a uniform sized bulb and also a hard and firm one. This plan is 
especially recommended for the Globe varieties, since they do. best under this 
treatment. About two pounds of seed will furnish plants enough for an acre 
by this method. The expense is considerably greater than by the ordinary 'SSjH 
plan, and should be roughly estimated at $100 per acre. The additional cost 
is simply in labor in transplanting, for there is some saving in hoeing and 
hand weeding. Unless the land is porous and friable and also very moist all 
through the summer, this method is usually unsuccessful and is not recommended. 
March 15th. 
AILSA CRAIG. An immense light yel- 
low onion; fine grained, crisp, 
mild flavored and early. They not 
infrequently measure 18 inches 
around, and weigh two pounds. 
Ailsa Craig is the largest onion 
grown. Pkt. 10c; oz. 30c; y 4 lb. 
$1.00; lb. $3.00. 
AUSTRALIAN BROWN. Early and 
very hardy variety which does es- 
pecially well in California. Should 
he planted early, on low, wet 
grounds, to get large bulbs. The 
skin is thick and the color is a 
rich brown. Is especially noted 
as a long keeper, as it keeps well 
into spring, and much longer than 
other varieties. Pkt. 5c; oz. 20c; 
i/ 4 lb. 50c; lb. $1.75. 
Crystal White Wax. A pure white variety of the Ber- 
muda type; Teneriffe grown. The beautiful clear 
white onion seen in our markets in crates early in 
spring is this variety. Pkt. 15c; oz. 50c; y 4 lb. $1.50; 
lb. $6.00. 
Extra Early Barletta. Extremely early variety. Seed 
planted in February will form ripe onions the last of 
July. Is a white onion, forming small bulbs about one 
inch in diameter. Valuable for home-made pickles. 
Pkt. 5c; oz. 25c; y 4 lb. 65c; lb. $2.25. 
MORSE BROWN GLOBE ^.Sftxft& 
seal-brown color. It ripens uniformly and nearly every 
plant makes a solid, hard bulb. It has all the long- 
keeping characteristics of Australian Brown, and is one 
of the very best varieties for market. Pkt. 5c; oz. 20c; 
y 4 lb. 60c; lb. $2.00. 
Australian Brown Onion 
California Early Red. A variety 
much used for very early onions. 
If the seed is sown in beds in 
August and set in the field in 
November or December, good 
market onions can be had in 
May. It is not a good keeping 
variety, but is of very mild fla- 
vor and of fine quality. Pkt. 5c: 
oz. 20c; y 4 lb. 50c; lb. $1.75. 
Extra Early Pearl. A very early 
variety with pure white skin, 
rather coarse grain and mild 
flavor. In shape it is flat and is 
unsurpassed for early sets or 
home-made pickles. Pkt. 5c; oz 
25c; y 4 lb. 65c; lb. $2.25. 
Extra Early Red Plat. A very early 
flat variety, with dark purplish- 
red skin. Forms a hard bulb 
with good keeping qualities. Pkt. 
5c; oz. 30c; y 4 lb. 90c; lb. $3.00. 
Mammoth Silver King. An early, large, white, flat onion 
is not a keeping sort nor a good shipping varietv, but 
is valuable for home use and near-by markets. Is very 
lb. $2.25? flaV ° r - Pkt " 50 ; ° 2, 25c; 1/4 lb - 650 • 
OHIO YELLOW GLOBE The best of th * yei- 
low Globe varieties 
The skin is bright, glossy, orange-yellow, and the flesh 
is white and fine grained. The bulbs are remarkably 
uniform in size and shape, and being firm and hard 
possess fine keeping and shipping qualities Pkt 5c' 
oz. 30c; y 4 lb. 90c ; lb. $3.00. 
— SI — 
