OF ONE ACRE. 
107 
from seed, enough sets should be planted to make an 
early supply for the table; if no sets are at hand in 
the fall, to plant for the spring crop of scallions, they 
could be grown by sowing the seed about a month 
earlier than you would plant the sets for the same 
purpose. 
In sowing seeds for sets the same directions apply 
as given for the crop of bulbs, excepting that the 
seed is sown much more thickly, so that the bulbs 
will touch each other and stand two or three wide in 
the row. If they do not seem to be making the 
proper growth as the season advances, they should 
be thinned to the proper extent to enable them to 
grow to the right size, one-half inch in diameter, 
though my own trouble is that they usually grow 
too large; to remedy this when they are nearly the 
proper size I allow them to become choked with 
grass and weeds, which checks their growth, but 
when this is done they must be watched that this 
mass of stuff does not rot them off when ripe. I think 
a better way would be to go along the row with a 
straight-edged hoe or spade and cut off some of the 
roots. The main object in having the sets of this 
small size is that they shall not run to seed when 
planted out in the spring. Any sets which exceed 
three-quarters of an inch in diameter should be used 
for pickling or cooking. When the sets begin to 
ripen it will sometimes facilitate the process to bend 
all the green tops over close to the bulbs, as it helps 
to dry and shrivel the tops more quickly. When 
thoroughly ripe they should be gathered at once, the 
tops and roots pulled off, and should be spread out 
