AUTUMN-SOWN ONIONS AT WISLEY, 191 6-17, 147 
AUTUMN-SOWN ONIONS AT WISLEY, 1916-17. 
Eighty-seven packets of Onion seed were sent in for sowing in 
autumn 1916. The seed was sown on August 23 on ground occupied 
earlier in the year by the mid-season pea trial. It was dug over and 
received a moderate dressing of farmyard manure before the seed was 
sown. The drills were made 15 inches asunder, and, with the exception 
of two stocks, the germination was excellent. The seedlings remained 
in this bed until early March 1917, when they were transplanted into 
land similarly treated, except that it had been dug in September 
and remained rough all winter. Two rows of each variety were 
planted 8 inches apart, fifty plants in a row, and the rows 15 inches 
apart ; the remainder were allowed to stand in the seed-bed after 
thinning out. Little growth was made by the transplanted plants 
until late April, after which they grew away well. Most stocks 
bolted into flower, however, whether transplanted or not, the least 
prone to it being Nos. 1, 3, 5, 12-17, 39, 40, 58, 59, 61, 69, 70, 
80-83, niainly Tripoli onions, but including ' Autumn Triumph/ 
' Record,' and ' Froxfield.' This had little effect on the crop, how- 
ever, for the tops of the flowering shoots were promptly pinched 
out and most of the plants made splendid bulbs. 
While the spring-sown Onions on an adjacent plot suffered badly 
from an attack of Onion fly, this pest was not seen on this plot, a 
point greatly in favour of the autumn-sowing of Onions ; nor did 
Onion mildew give any trouble. 
A feature of the trial was the number of seeds from American 
sources which were included. On the whole, the plants derived from 
these tended to ripen off somewhat sooner than those of the same 
type from English seed, but there was no great difference in the 
crops, and the bulbs from American seed kept as well as those from 
English. Many of the varieties included in the trial are of course 
not fit for storing, but are grown to be used either while still young 
and green, like the ' White Lisbon,' or immediately they are large 
enough. They are in fact best regarded as varieties suitable for 
bridging the gap between the stored Onions of the previous year and 
the new crop. None of the white-skinned Onions kept for any length 
of time after harvesting, and though the Tripoli type of Onion gives 
a heavy crop, it is better to choose some other type for storing for 
winter and early spring use. 
The Fruit and Vegetable Committee examined the trial on July 27, 
and selected the following for the award indicated : 
Award of Merit. 
40. Autumn Triumph, from Mr. Beckett. 
70. Froxfield, from Messrs. Barr. 
