The Newtown bee., 1896-06-12

" sutljIiyrr ica-ru 1rr thi- fact, and p'cvrd his p"in' by #n ingenious export mgul. |}r dc4uDstrastu that tlIa smut iulGu> enters lhr orion scpdliug only while Tn" J1ltrr ja beneath the surface of the ground, -n that if growth starts above ground, as in the caae of sets, th, planfa
 are not affected with smut, The fssct
 of the immunity, for tue same reason, If transplantrd seedlings u#s mentioned
 by Th4xtor in thia connection, but 80 far
 as know thc matter has received no
 practical demonstration. The method of
 growing onions by starting thc seed in
 hol.bcd@, 1eua transpanting the sred!iDgs
 to the field, was suggested in 1891 by Mir
 GrclLcr of La Salie, \. I., and has since
 been practiced by him and by others wiJh
 marked succuae, Several of the Expcri
 ment Stations also have tried tts method
 But all of these experiments have had
 for their object increase in the size ana
 value of{Jhe onion crop. As fur as that
 WAS lc0ucerned they were successful in
 proving that larger yields are obtained
 It no greater expense, and that the Oniora
 Aro larger and mature earlier than onions
 grown from seed sOwn in the open. But
 it seemed more than likely that this
 method would have another important
 advantage iu producing sound crop Ut
 onions even upon smutCy land. Through
 the generous cooperation of Messrs C.
 Buckingham and N. H. Sherwood oI
 Southport, there wHs placed at the dis
 posal of the Station piece of land known
 to be infested with smut. The variety
 selected from the test was Wethersf field
 Red, and on March G.u tlrc seed vsas
 sowu in flats in blr Snorwoeu's gre4n-
 house. Early in May the land wa- caIu-
 fully prepared, and on the Ssh of the
 month seed Of the same veruJg and from
 the same package as that sOWn in flats,
 was sOWn in drills one foot apart, in the
 field. This could have heen done earlier
 with profit, and the crop would doubt less have made 8 better showing.
 Between every two rows of seed, q space 1t. wide was left for the reception ot two rows of seedlings. The latter were lifted from the flats on May I3, and at once Cransplanted to the vacant rows. At this time the seedlings were half as thick as lead pencil and about five in. nigh. The soil was extremely dry, and a hot sun caused the plants to wilt badly, but they were watered that same even. ing and in few days had recovered and were making a good growth. The plant. were set in holes three inches aparr, made by means of a narrow board set with wooden pins and pressed down with the foot. As fast as the holes were made, ] 8 man followed with the seedlings, dropping one in each hole and pressing the earth about it, The pins were of such length that when the plants were set, the bulbs were about half an inch l below the surface of the ground. From l this time on the whole piece received the l same treatment, being cultivated and 1 weeded as usual. The Cr&nsplanted rows l however, required one less wedding than | ihe rows from seed, and of course did not l require thinning.
 All of the onions were harvested on 1 September 4. There were 20 rows grown oy each method, each row being. 26 feet ong. The onions were carefully ex- .mined as they were pulled, and all l ,mutty plants and soallions were put on ,ne side. 1t was then found that about 10 per cent. of the onions from seed were ,mutty, and fully 15 per centwere seal ions. Had the onions been thinned, the of acallions would doubtless ,ave been smaller but on the other hand, here was abundant evidence throughout he rows, that many of the plants had ,een affected with smot 50 carly that hey failedto grow, the place where they