“Here oft we sought the violet, as it lay 
Buried in beds of moss aud lichen gray .”—Sarah H. Whitman. 
91 
Onions. 
The American Onion seed we offer 
is all of our own growing, every 
Oni<>n examined before planting, and 
we believe it to be the purest and 
best in the world. Any one who 
plants 100 seeds and gives them good 
care may not only reasonably expect 
80 good plants, but 90 good, sound, 
round Onions, unless they are sown 
so thick as to make it necessary to 
remove a part of them. 
The Onion must have a clean and 
very rich soil. Use well sorted ma¬ 
nure freely, and be sure and get the 
seed in as early as possible in the 
spring, no matter if it is ever so cold 
and unpleasant; for, if Onions do 
not get a good growth before hot, 
dry weather, the crop is sure to be a 
failure. Thin out early, and keep 
the soil mellow and clear of weeds. 
Sow in shallow drills, not less than a 
foot apart, and thin out when the 
young plants are about the size of 
quills. In doing this, disturb those 
that remain as little as possible. As 
Onions grow on the top of the 
ground, they may be allowed to re¬ 
main pretty thick, no matter if they 
crowd each other. In hoeing to de¬ 
stroy weeds and keep the ground 
mellow, do not cover the young 
bulbs with earth. Four pounds of 
seed is usually required for an acre. 
In cold or mucky soils, where the 
Danvers or Wethersfield varieties 
will not form bulbs, the Early Red . T , < „ 
should be tried, and will often succeed while others fail. It is an excel¬ 
lent variety and a good keeper. The New Italian Onions, of which there 
are several admirable varieties, are of a sweet, mild flavor, and grow 
very large, often from one to four pounds. 1 hey do well at the South. 
It has been found difficult to grow Onions from seed in the South, 
while from Sets good crops are grown, and quite early. These sets are 
little Onions grown the previous year, and taken up when as largo as 
Peas. Set out in the spring they very soon form large good Onions. 
There are two other kinds of Onions that are not grown from seed, the 
Potato and Top Onions. The Potato Onion grows in clusters, under 
ground. These little bulbs are planted in the spring, and produce large 
Onions. The large Onions are planted the next spring and produce the 
clusters. The Top Onion produces small clusters on the top of the stem, 
where seed is produced in the common kinds. The small Onions are 
planted in the spring, and the result is full grown Onions, and these large 
ones, with one year’s growth, produce the clusters on the top for seed. 
The Onion is usually a very profitable and satisfactory crop, and it is 
only occasionally that the market is overstocked and the prices low. 
It is useless, however, to try to grow Onions on a poor unsuitable soil or 
in a careless manner. Three days of neglect when the weeds are growing 
rapidly will sometimes ruin a crop, and a week too late in sowing often 
makes the difference between a good and bad harvest. For weeding, we 
can recommend either the Planet, Jr., or Wheel Hoe, which we have 
found very effective. See advertisement at end of this catalogue. Ma¬ 
nure for Onions should be well rotted, and placed on or near the surface. 
With proper manuring Onions can be grown on the same land for a 
score of years, and it will become cleaner and better every year. The 
Onion is such an important crop to large growers, and the preparation 
of the soil and culture so expensive, and consequently a failure from 
bad seed or other causes is so disastrous, that long ago we determined to 
sell no seed of the leading American kinds, except, what we grew on our 
own grounds, and knew to be new, true and good. The Onion crop is 
usually exceedingly profitable, ranging from three hundred to five hun¬ 
dred bushels per acre, according to richness of soil, culture, etc. The 
price ranges from twenty-five cents to one dollar per bushel, but seldom 
less than fifty cents. 
AMERICAN VARIETIES. 
Onion, Danvers yellow ©lobe. Our own strain, raised 
from above selected seed* It stands at the head, is a fine, large, 
round Onion; very choice; per lb., $3.(10; oz., 30 cents-. . ----- 5 
Large yellow, a fine, large, flat Onion; forms bulbs readily; 
per lb., $2.25; oz., 20 cents .-. 5 
“Round yellow Da n vers, not Globe-shaped. A standard va¬ 
riety, prolific and a good keeper; per lb., $2.75; oz., 25 cents.- 5 
Wethersfield Red, one of the best varieties for a general 
crop; of good size; red, tiattish, productive; heads and keeps 
well; per lb., $2.25; oz., 20 cents. ------------ . - - -- - - 
Early “Red ©lobe, early; good; per lb., $2.50; oz., 25 cents .... o 
Extra Early Flat “Red, earliest of all the American van- 
eties, good keeper; per lb.. $2.50; oz., 25 cents . . -----— 5 
White © I o be, a large, white Onion, as large as Danvers Yellow: 
per lb., $3.50; oz., 30 cents . ,.- .- 
Silver-Skinned, true, white; delicate; early; not a good 
keeper; per lb., $3.50; oz., 30 cents.-. 
ITALIAN ONIONS. 
These Italian varieties are especially 
adapted for cultivation in the Southehn 
States. At the Ndrth, only the early sons 
will succeed, unless seed is sown in a hot¬ 
bed early in March, and the young Onions 
transplanted to the open ground as soon as 
they are the size of quills. 
Onion, /Sew ©iont Rocca, of 
/Maples, a splendid large Onion, 
of globular shape and light brown 
skin, sometimes weighing 3 pounds 
or more; per lb., $2.00; oz., 20 cts... 10 
Large Blood “Red Italian 
Tripoli, more flat than the preced¬ 
ing. quite as large, and blood red; 
per In., $ 2 . 00 ; oz., 20 cents. 10 
Ma m moth Wh ite ©a rga n us, 
or Silver King. The largest of 
the Italian varieties; flat, silvery- 
white, mild and fine; per lb., $2.7o; 
oz., 30 cents . 10 
ONION, NEW QUEEN. 
Onion, Large White Flat Italian Tripoli, pure white 
skin, flat, mild flavor, and as large as Giant Rocca; per lb., $2.50; # 
oz. 20 cents. . . 10 
(JV UUiiW. . ... 
Early Flat White Italian Tripoli, beautiful white skm; 
very mild, of rapid growth, early; per lb., $2.00; oz.. 20 cents. 10 
Ma rzejola, white, small, very early, and a good keeper; per lb., 
$2.00; oz., 20 cents . ----- . *0 
/Mew Queen, white skin, fine flavor, very small; the earliest 
grown; per lb., $2.75; oz., 30 cents. 10 
ONION SETS. 
The prices of sets given below are based on the present market rates. 
Should fluctuations occur later in the season, we shall be obliged to vary 
prices on bushels and pecks in accordance with the market. The price 
per quart will remain unchanged. 
At bushel or peck rates, the purchasers pay the freight or express. At 
the quart price we prepay postage. 
English Multipliers, or Potato Onions, per bushel, 
$4.00; peck, $1.25; quart . ... 40 
yellow Bottom Sets, per bushel, $4.50; peck, $1.35; quart.. 35 
White Bottom Sets, per bushel, $5.50; peck, $1.00; quart .. 40 
OHIVES 
Chives are small and not very important membeYs of the Onion tribe, 
quite hardy everywhere. The leaves are slender, and appear very early 
in the spring, and may he shorn several times during the season. They 
are propagated by divisions of the root. Chives make the very best bor¬ 
der for beds in the vegetable garden, and are not only ornamental, bear¬ 
ing pink flowers, and a mass of green leaves, but equal to the Onion for 
flavoring soups and salads. Roots, ]>cr bunch, 20 cents. 
ONION SEED SCARCE FOR 1893. 
The stock of Onion Seed is very short in every section this yea r, 
especially the True Globe Shape, Eastern Grown Seed, which fact 
will no doubt tempt unscrupulous dealers to place doubtful seed on 
the market. Buyers should be careful and place 'heir orders with 
Seedsmen in whom they have confidence Our stock is limited, and 
we urge our friends to send in their orders as early as possible. 
