James * MizX, * Roc fester, * jL * y. sf- 
99 
The American Onion seed we offer is all of our own 
growing, every Onion 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 90 good plants, but 90 ' 
good sound, round Onions, unless they are sown so j 
thick as to make it necessary to remove a part of them, j 
We give correct engravings of the leading varieties, but ! 
they are only about one-fourth the natural size, and the j 
Italian sorts even much less than this, perhaps about 
-one-fifth. 
The Onion must have a clean and very rich soil. Use 
well rotted manure freely, and be sure to 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 Onions are about the size of quills. In doing 
this, disturb those that remain as little as possible. 
As Onions grow on top of the ground, they may be 
allowed to remain pretty thick, no matter if they crowd 
each other. In hoeing to destroy weeds and keep the 
ground mellow, do not cover the young bulbs with earth. 
Four pounds of seed are usually required for an acre. 
In cold or mucky soils, where the Danvers and Weth¬ 
ersfield varieties will not form bulbs, the Early Red 
should be tried, and will often succeed while others fail. 
It is an excellent variety and a good keeper. The New 
Italian Onions, of which there are several admirable 
varieties, arc of a sweet, mild flavor, and grow very large, 
often from one to four p muds. They do well at the 
South. Our engravings show Large Flat White Ital¬ 
ian, Giant Rocca and Hlood Red Tripoli. 
It ha.- 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 large as Peas. 
Set out in the spring they very soon form good large 
Onions. Their size and appearance arc shown in the 
•engraving. 
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, as exhib¬ 
ited in the engraving. 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 the small clusters shown in 
the engraving, on the top of the stem, where seed is pro¬ 
duced in the common kinds. These 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 over¬ 
stocked and the price low. It is useless, however, to 
try to grow Onions on a poor unsuitable soil or in a care¬ 
less 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 be¬ 
tween a good and bad harvest. For weeding, we can 
recommend either the Planet Jr. or Ruhlman’s Wheel 
Hoe, which we have found very effective. See adver¬ 
tisement at end of this catalogue. Manure for Onions 
should he 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 clean¬ 
er and better every year. The Onion is such an impor- ! 
taut crop to large growers, and the preparation of the j 
soil and culture so expensive, and consequently a failure j 
from bad seed or other causes is so disastrous, that long j 
ago we determined to sell no seed of the leading Amen- j 
can 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 hun¬ 
dred to five hundred bushels per acre, according to rich¬ 
ness of soil, culture, &c. The price ranges from twenty- 
five cents to one dollar per bushel, but seldom less than 
fifty cents. 
AMERICAN VARIETIES. 
Onions, Wethersfield Red, one of the best varieties 
for a general crop; of good size; red, flattish, 
productive; heads and keeps well; per lb., 
$1.50 ; per oz., 15 < 5 ls.,. 5 
Early Red, early ; good ; per !b., §1.75; oz., 15c. 5 
Danvers Yellow Globe, a fine, large, round 
Onion; very choice ; per lb. , $1.75 ; oz., 15c., . 5 
Large Yellow, a fine, large, flat Onion: forms 
bulbs readily ; per lb., $1.50; per oz., 15c., . . 5 
White Globe, a large, white Onion, as large as 
Danvers Yellow ; per lb. $3.00; per oz. 30 cents, 10 
Silver-Skinned, true, white ; delicate ; early ; 
not a good keeper ; per lb., £3.00; per oz., 30c., 10 
NEW ITALIAN ONIONS. 
New Giant Rocca, of Naples, a splendid large 
Onion, of globular shape, and light brown skin ; 
sometimes weighing 3 pounds or more ; per lb.. 
£2.25 ; per oz., 25c.,. 10 
Large Blood Red Italian Tripoli, more flat 
than the preceding, quite as large, and blood 
red; per lb., $2.25 ; per oz.,25c.,. 10 
Large Flat White Italian Tripoli, very pure 
white skin, flat, very mild flavor; and as large 
as either of the above; peril)., $2.25 ; oz., 25c., 10 
Early Flat White Italian Tripoli, beautiful 
white skin, very' mild, of rapid growth, early ; 
per lb. $2.25 ; per oz. 25 cents,. 10 
Marzajola, new, but probably the earliest Onion 
grown. In warm climates seed sown in autumn 
produces bulbs in March ; per lb. $2.25 ; oz. 23c., 10 
New Queen, white skin, fine flavor, and the best 
keeper of the new foreign Onions ; early and 
small; per lb., $3.00; per oz., 30c.,. 10 
ONION SETS. 
The prices of sets given below are based on the 
present market rates, which, judging from the reported 
general good yield in set-producing regions, are not 
likely to materially advance. 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 and peck rates, purchasers pay the freight 
or express. At the quart price we prepay postage. 
English Multipliers or Potato Onions, per 
bushel $6.oc ; peck, $1.75; quart,. 60 
Top, or Button Onions, per bush., $5.00; peck, 
$1.50; quart, . 50 
Yellow Bottom Sets, per bush., $5.00; peck, 
$1.50; quart,. 50 
White Bottom Sets, per bushel, $6.00; peck, 
$1.75; quart,. 60 
OKRA. 
The Okra is a vigorous, 
large plant, requiring a 
good deal of room, and 
the large kind should be 
planted not less than three 
feet apart, and the dwarf 
about eighteen inches. In 
mild climates it is only 
necessary' to sow the seed 
in the open ground, about 
two inches deep, and then 
merely keep the ground 
clean and mellow, as for 
a hill of corn. 
Okra, Long Green, long, pale green, and ribbed; 
per lb. $1.00; per oz. 10 cents. 
Dwarf Green, earliest and best for the North; 
per lb. $1.00; per oz. 10 cents,. 
