392 
VEGETABLE GARDENING 
quired for an acre. It is evident that about 20 sash 
must be employed to grow enough plants for an acre. 
The cost and maintenance of the sash and the care of 
the plants are more serious objections to the transplant- 
ing method than the cost of setting in the field. The 
plants must have good care to prevent damping off and 
to secure a strong, stocky growth. After they reach the 
height of about 5 inches they are clipped back weekly 
to about 4 inches to induce stockiness. 
The plants should not be set 
in the open ground until after 
danger of severe frost. Light 
frosts will do no harm. They 
should be thoroughly hardened 
by gradually subjecting them to 
lower temperatures and by wa- 
tering more sparingly than at 
first. Before transplanting both 
roots and tops are cut back 
severely. They will stand trans- 
planting better if the tops are 
shortened to about 3 inches. 
When properly grown they will 
fig. 90. onion plants be at least the thickness of a 
cut back preparatory slate pencil (Figure go) when 
TO transplanting. transplanted. Dibbers are gen- 
erally employed in field plant- 
ing. Watering is a great advantage after planting, 
although it is not necessary if the ground is naturally 
moist. To realize the largest profits by this method the 
large bulbs should be packed in crates of the Bermuda 
type. (Figure 91.) 
537. Growing from sets. — Some market gardeners 
plant sets in small areas to produce mature bulbs and 
thousands of farmers depend upon them to supply the 
required quantity of bunching onions and mature bulbs 
