

New York Agricvurura ExPeRIMENT Srarion. ATT 
ONIONS. 
Seeds of three varieties of onions were sown April 14, primarily — 
to test the benefit of nitrate of soda as a fertilizer. Two of these 
varieties were from two sources. . 
Southport Yellow Globe. Eastern grown seed. 
Southport Yellow Globe. California grown seed. 
Southport Red Globe. Kastern grown seed. 
Southport Red Globe. California grown seed. 
These seed were sown on the same day and under identical 
- conditions, but when the young plants appeared it was found that 
less than five per cent. of the eastern grown seed had germinated, 
while over ninety per cent of the California grown seed made 
plants. This is a startling difference, due probably to the eastern 
grown seed being over one year old. But as the months of April 
and May were exceptionally dry, the difference may be due to the 
California seed having more vigor than the eastern grown. As it 
has been demonstrated at this Station that cabbage and cauli- — 
flower seed grown on the western coast often develop larger and — 
more vigorous plants than either eastern grown or imported seed, 
a comparative germination test of these seeds will be made at an 
early date. On May sixteenth nitrate of soda was applied toevery | 
alternate row of three varieties of onions by scattering it close 
up to the onion bulb at the rate of about 100 pounds per 
acre. This amount was applied twice afterward at intervals of | | 
thirty days. The results after the second application was very 
marked, the tops of onions being of a darker green color and of 
larger size. When these onions were ‘harvested they were 
weighed with the tops on them and then the tops were cut off and 
weighed. The results are given in the accompanying table. It 
will be seen that the nitrate of soda caused a rank growth of tops 
_ at the expense of the bulbs, and was of no benefit as far as the 
~ merchantable yield was concerned. 
