48 
D. M. FERRY & CO‘S DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. 
ONION 
The Onion is one of the most extensively used of all vegetables. It not only contains considerable nutriment and has valu¬ 
able medicinal properties, but is most useful in counteracting the bad effects of sedentary life. The disagreeable odor it im¬ 
parts to the breath may be avoided in a great measure by thorough cooking, or by eating a few leaves or parsley. 
In onion culture, thorough preparation of the ground, careful sowing and the best of after culture, though essential for a 
full yield, will avail nothing unless seed of the best quality be used.. Given the same care and conditions, the product Irom two 
lots of onion seed of the same variety but of different quality may be so unequal in the quantity of merchantable onions that it 
would be more profitable to use the good seed though it cost twenty times as much as the other. Our equipment and ex¬ 
perience enable us to produce onion seed that is unsurpassed. The seed we offer is the best obtainable. 
Although onions are often raised from sets and from division , by far the best and cheapest mode of production is from seed. 
The facility with which seed is soivn and the superior bulbs it produces, recommend it for general use. 
As early in spring as ground can be worked, sow in rich soil, thoroughly pulverized and leveled, in rows twelve to fifteen 
inches apart, covering one-half inch deep. When the olants are well up, cultivate and keep free from weeds, i he young plants 
may be thinned about one inch apart in the row. When grown for bunching, the rows can be made as close as ten inches. 
For very early crop in northern latitudes, sow seed in cold-frame in February and transplant when large enough to handle 
readily. The same location may be used for a succession of years if the ground is kept rich by applications of well rotted ma¬ 
nure or other suitable fertilizer anil is thoroughly worked at proper intervals. Where climate permits seed may be sown early 
in winter. If onions are to be grown for the market the following suggestions "hould be given careful consideration: 
HOW TO RAISE ONIONS FOR THE MARKET 
THE SOIL. We prefer a soft, dark sandy loam, not too fine. 
This is much better if it has been cultivated with hoed crops, 
kept clean from weeds and well manured for two years pre¬ 
vious, because if a sufficient quantity of manure to raise an 
ordinary soil to a proper degree of fertility is applied at once, 
it is likely to make the onions soft. The same result will follow 
if we sow on rank mucky ground or on that which is too wet 
and it is impossible to raise either a large or profitable crop on 
stiff clay, very light sand or gravel. 
PREPAR ATION. Onions respond well to very liberal ma 
nuring. As much as forty loads of stock manure well com 
posted or one ton of high grade commercial fertilizer per acre 
may be applied to good advantage. The stock manure should 
be spread and worked into the top soil in the fall but if com¬ 
mercial fertilizer is used it should be distributed and 
thoroughly worked into the top soil after plowing in the spring. 
A liberal use of potash is very beneficial to the crop especially 
when raw manure is used or if the soil is rank and mucky, as 
potash reduces the tendency to scallions or coarse necked 
bulbs. The top soil should be cleared of everything that will 
interfere with the best possible work with drill and wheel hoe. 
The whole ploughed soil should be well pulverized and worked 
with tools that leave the surface smooth and compact. 
SOWING THE SEED. This should be done as soon as the 
ground can be made ready and can be done best by a hand 
seed drill. This should be carefully adjusted to sow the desired 
quantity of seed about one-half inch deep. The quantity 
needed will vary with the soil, the seed used and the kind of 
onions desired. Thin seeding gives much larger onions than 
thick seeding. Four or five pounds per acre is the usual 
quantity needed to grow large onions. We prefer a drill that 
sows a very close row. 
CULTIVATION. As soon as the young plants can be seen 
In the rows give a shallow working either with rake or sonie 
other tool that pulverizes well the whole top soil. Many onion 
growers consider about one inch apart as a perfect stand. Work 
the crop again in a few days with a hoe or tool that cuts the 
ground over, this time as closely as is possible to the row 
without injury to the young plants; follow as quickly as 
possible with a thorough hand weeding keeping in mind that 
a very small weed today is a large one next week. The ground 
should be cultivated once a week if possible and any remaining 
weeds pulled out by hand every two weeks. For best results 
these operations should be continued until the crop occupies 
the ground. 
GATHERING. As soon as the tops die and fall the bulbs 
may be pulled and raked into small open windrows, turning every 
few days with a rake. At convenience cut off the tops half an 
inch to an inch from the bulbs and very soon afterward the 
bulbs may be picked up in crates and piled loose under cover. 
The large onion growers use a puller attachment to the wheel 
hoe that runs under the row of onions and lifts the bulbs. 
Where help can be procured readily we find it much cheaper to 
top the onions with a rough edged case knife and rake away 
the tops before pulling. 
It will not do to store onions in large piles or masses, particularly in warm weather, or if they are the least moist, but if per¬ 
fectly dry when gathered and stored in crates, they can be kept in fine condition till spring. The best way is to keep them dry, 
giving bottom ventilation if possible, and at a uniform temperature of about 32° to 84° Fr. 
r- . r* 1 p J Sometimes called Extra Early Flat Red. Although the first of the red sorts to ripen, the bulbs are 
E-Xtra H.arly r\.6u firm and keep remarkably well for so early a variety. It is a very hardy, medium sized, fiat variety 
that yields well and is very uniform in shape and size. The skin is uniformly rich purplish red and moderately strong flavored. 
It comes into use about a week or ten days earlier than Large Red Wethersfield. The flesh is white with tinge of light purple. 
The variety succeeds in cool soils. It is very desirable* for early market use. Pkt. 8c, 2 for 15c; Oz. 25c; 2 Oz. 40c; Vi Lb. 75c; 
Lb. $2.50 
Extra Early Red 
d J \\T .i r* lj This is the standard red va- 
I\0C1 W etnersrield riety and a favorite onion 
•ast, where immense crops are grown for shipment. It is 
very extensively grown for home garden use as well as the 
market. The bulbs are large and are flattened yet quite thick. 
The skin is deep purplish red. The flesh is light purplish white, 
moderately fine grained, rather strong but of pleasant flavor. 
The variety is very productive, one of the best keepers and very 
popular for general cultivation. This medium early or main 
crop variety does best on rich, moderately dry soil, but on low 
muck land it is more apt to form large necks than the Danvers. 
There is no better sort for poor and dry soils. Pkt. 8c, 2 for 15c; 
Oz. 25c; 2 Oz. 40c; Vi Lb. 75c; Lb. $2.50 
Large 
in the € 
Large Red Wethersfield 
