MARKETING OF BERMUDA ONIONS 5 
are the sources of water in the upper counties. In the Coachella 
Valley, Calif., artesian wells are the source of water. The Colorado 
River supplies the Imperial Valley. 
Much labor is required in the growing of Bermuda onions, because 
of the large amount of hand work necessary in the various operations; 
growing sets from seed, transplanting, hoeing, irrigating, harvesting, 
and grading. (See fig. 3.) In Texas this work is largely done by 
Mexican families who live in these sections; in California, Japanese are 
employed as well. 
-Grading Bermuda onions in the field 
VARIETIES OF BERMUDA ONIONS 
Two varieties of Bermuda onions are grown commercially, the 
Crystal Wax or White Bermuda and the Yellow Bermuda. 3 Both 
varieties are of the flat type. Certain classes of trade prefer the white 
variety and are willing to pay a premium for good Crystal Wax over 
Yellow, but the yellow onion is the more popular commercially, and 
and as a rule constitutes about 90 per cent of the crop. The Crystal 
Wax variety makes up the other 10 per cent. These begin to move 
a few days after the first shipments of Yellow and are all marketed 
within the first few weeks. They are more easily injured by hot 
weather, rain, or rough handling than the Yellow. 
Bermuda onions have a mild flavor compared with northern-grown 
or late onions. They are more perishable in nature and do not store 
successfully, so the crop must be marketed within a short period 
after harvest. 
SEASONAL PRODUCTION AND SHIPMENTS 
The principal characteristic of the Bermuda-onion movement as 
compared with that of northern onions is the short period within 
which Bermudas are marketed. Except for a few cars, practically 
all of the movement takes place within a period of 12 weeks and three- 
fourths of it between the third and seventh weeks, inclusive. Ninety 
per cent of the carlo t shipments have usually been marketed by the 
end of the eighth week. (Fig. 4.) 
3 The seedsmen of the Canary Islands refer to three varieties of Bermudas— the Crystal Wax, the White 
Bermuda (known in the United States as the Yellow Bermuda), and the Red Bermuda. 
