CULTURAL DIRECTIONS 
403 
Sire desired. The crowded plants compete with each 
other for food, moisture and room in which to grow. 
Under such conditions it is impossible for the bulbs to 
attain large size. 
The industry has reached the greatest development 
near Louisville, Ivy., and Chicago, 111 . There are from 
6oo to 800 growers of sets near Louisville, each cultivat- 
ing from one to 50 acres. In the Chicago district the 
business is handled by 15 to 20 men, the acreage of each 
ranging from 20 to 400 acres. 
Any good onion soil may be used for growing sets. 
It should be at least moderately fertile, fine and as free 
as possible from weed seeds. The seed should be drilled 
as soon as the ground can be prepared in the spring. In 
the districts mentioned the rows are 11 to 12 inches 
apart. Some highly intensive growers plant closer, but 
it makes cultivation more difficult. From 40 to 60 
pounds of seed are used to the acre, and occasionally 10 
or 15 pounds more. The seed is distributed in a broad 
drill by means of a spreader attached. Sometimes sev- 
eral hand drills are connected and drawn by a horse, but 
it is impossible to make the rows as straight as when the 
drills are pushed by hand. The fields must be cultivated 
as soon as the plants are up and frequently enough to 
keep the soil in good tilth. The number of cultivations varies 
from two to six, and of hand weedings' from two to four. 
With the crowded condition of the bulbs they mature 
earlier than if they had ample space. At Louisville 
harvesting begins in July and extends into August. The 
work is begun when one-third to one-half the tops are 
down. After loosening with a fork or an onion harves- 
ter. the plants are pulled by hand, the tops twisted off 
and the soil sifted out. Then the bulbs are placed in a 
barrel and taken promptly to the storage house, where 
the sets are spread 4 to 6 inches deep on trays and 
allowed to remain until sold. The cleaning before mar- 
