20 
The: Colorado Experiment Station. 
onion culture.” The seed are sown in flats in the .greenhouse or 
in hotbeds six weeks to two months before time to put the plants 
in the field. When ready to put the plants outside, they are taken 
up, the roots cut back to one-half inch in length and part of the 
top removed, after which they are transplanted in the usual way, 
being set three to six inches apart in the row. By this method the 
grower is able to lengthen the growing period by starting his onions 
early, and is thus enabled to grow to perfection the milder flavored 
onions which require a longer season than we normally have here. 
He also eliminates the tedious process of thinning and is sure of a 
perfect stand of good plants properly spaced. The ground can be 
cultivated before the onions are transplanted to it, and the first crop 
of weeds killed. 
To offset these advantages are the disadvantages of trans¬ 
planting and of supplying hotbed space. However, transplanting 
an acre of onions requires but little more labor than thinning the 
crop which has been planted the old way. About 150,000 plants 
per acre are required. One man can set 8,000 or 10,000 plants per 
day. The cost of hotbed sash is the most important item. It re¬ 
quires twenty 3x6 sash to grow enough plants to set an acre. 
Seed .—The gardener should use good judgment in the selec¬ 
tion of seed. Poor seed will produce a large number of small bulbs 
and scullions or “thick necks.” Buy the best seed, even though 
the price is high. 
Cultivation .—Frequent shallow cultivation should be given. 
The hand wheel hoe is best for this. Care must be exercised in ir¬ 
rigating. The tendency is to give too much water, causing a large 
per cent of scullions. In the early part of the season water should 
be given sparingly to promote strong root development. An irri¬ 
gation every ten days is all that is necessary during the growing 
period. No more water should be applied after August 15th, but 
withheld in order to allow the crop to mature. 
Breaking the tops of the onions down by rolling a light roller 
of some kind over them may sometimes be advisable when the crop 
is tardy about maturing. However, if the plants can be induced 
to mature naturally, a much more satisfactory product will result. 
Harvesting .—The roots should first be cut by running a U- 
shaped blade under the bulbs. Such a blade may be attached to a 
double wheeled hand hoe, or a longer blade, cutting two rows at 
a time can be attached to a horse hoe. The tops are then cut off 
about a half inch above the bulb, and the onions are raked into 
windrows, preferably with wooden rakes, and allowed to dry for 
