104 JOHNSON & STOKES 
An onion set is merely an immature bulb. Sets vary from 
the size of a large pea up to that of a walnut. When the 
seed is sown thickly the bulbs have no chance to grow, and 
the summer weather quickly ripens the tops, completely sus- 
pending the growth of the bulb. In some parts of the coun- 
try onion sets cannot be grown with profit, as the tops 
refuse to die and the bulbs or sets do not ripen properly. 
In nearly all parts of the United States onions can be 
grown direct from the seed the first year; especially from 
seed grown around Philadelphia, which is earlier than West- 
ern-grown. It is quite customary in the South to sow onion 
seed in late summer or autumn; in August or September. 
This will give early spring onions of marketable size. In 
the North, within quite recent years, it has become the prac- 
tice to sow onion seed in frames, in fall or early spring, and 
transplant the young onions to the open ground. This is 
sometimes spoken of as the new onion culture. 
Onion sets or young plants should be placed 3 or 4 
inches apart, in rows a foot apart, if to be cultivated by hand; 
the rows farther apart if for horse work. 
The onion is hardy. Many varieties will live in the open 
ground over winter, if covered (at the North) with light 
litter. It is in this way that shoots for bunching are ob- 
tained early in the spring. 
The seed should be sown for sets when the apple is in 
bloom. Sets may be put into the ground earlier; in fact, as 
soon as the ground can be worked. The set should not pro- 
duce seed the first year, though it often does so. It should, 
on the contrary, grow to the size of say 3 inches, and then 
ripen for winter storage. Excessively large onions are not 
desirable. To hasten maturity, the tops may be broken 
down or the roots may be cut by running a knife or sharp 
plow or cultivator along one side of the row. 
The onion, under favorable circumstances, will produce 
