The Garden Magazine, February, 1921 
309 
II. THE MATTER. OF VARIETIES 
ADOLPH KRUHM . - 
= T IS a queer fact that those varieties of Onions which 
ma y b e g rown to extraordinary size are really not 
Bermuda Onions at all, but certain types of Spanish 
Onion. The Bermuda Onions proper are small to 
medium sized flat bulbs, averaging not more than two and 
a half inches in diameter by one inch through. No amount 
of extra start can make them grow any larger because 
they are a very early variety, ripening within sixty days 
from the time seeds are sown. They are of three kinds, 
namely, the Bermuda Crystal Wax, a pure white bulb; White 
Bermuda, a yellow skinned fellow; and Red Bermuda, the 
rosy-colored companion of the other two. These Bermuda 
Onions are notorious for their mildness and for their poor keep- 
ing qualities. There is one member of this type, however, 
originally from Italy, Giant White Italian Tripoli, which, after 
naturalization here, is called Mammoth Silver King. I his is 
the giant variety of the pure white, flat onion; and if started 
under glass, it will grow to a weight of from two to three pounds. 
However, even that variety is not as interesting a specimen of 
Giant Onion as the misnamed “ Bermuda Onions” which we see 
displayed on the fancy fruit stands throughout the country, 
and which are giant, globe- 
shaped, yellow-skinned fellows. 
The original of this tribe was 
a European variety called Yel- 
low Zittau Giant which in due 
time gravitated to America, 
and about twenty-five years 
ago, was introduced as Ameri- 
can Prize-Taker. Just about 
the same time, the well known 
house of Vilmorin in France 
“discovered” a very much 
milder flavored Onion of yel- 
low, globe - shaped type in 
Spain, cultivated it for a few 
years in France, and offered it 
then under the name of Giant 
Spanish. The late W. Atlee 
Burpee introduced this variety 
into America, and it subse- 
quently won its place as Gigan- 
tic Gibraltar, differing from 
Prize-Taker in having a deeper 
green top, and proving more 
resistant to blight and mildew. 
Subject as it was to considerable variation of soil, moisture, 
and weather conditions, this Gigantic Gibraltar in the process of 
better adapting itself to loamy and mucky soils became some- 
what modified. This modified form is now offered by some 
people in the trade as Giant Denia Onion. 
In the meantime, working along entirely different lines, a 
prominent English seed concern, starting with Yellow Zittau 
Giant as a foundation stock, evolved that great exhibition 
Onion called Ailsa Craig, which to-day plays a very important 
part in every vegetable exhibit on both sides of the Atlantic. 
Summarizing the recognized varieties of Onion that may be 
suitably grown for exhibition specimens, we therefore have: 
(1) American Prize-Taker, practical for cultivation on the clay 
soils pretty generally throughout the country. 
(2) Giant Denia, thriving perhaps best under irrigation, 
and in sections having well drained soils and a high altitude, 
though it also does well on muck. 
(3) Ailsa Craig, capable of the greatest growth of any, but by 
far the most exacting in regard to its conditions of growth. It 
does particularly well on the Pacific Coast; also on deep, heavy 
clays and on loamy soils. 
ONION AILSA 
CRAIG FOR 
HEAVY SOILS 
The best strain of 
the large mild flav- 
ored type for exhi- 
bition purposes. It 
is exacting as to con- 
ditions and succeeds 
in a deep heavy clay 
ioam 
