The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1898-02-24
ITEMS IN ONION CULTURE.
Popular Varieties For Market-Yield Per
Acre-The TrHnsplanting System.


Popular Varieties For Market-yieid Per
Acre-The TrAnsplanting System.
What are best varieties Of market
onions and their ordinary yield per
acre? Do you recommend the transplant
ing system referred to In bulletin 80,
Onion Culture, of the United States
department of agriculture" These que
ries from Macon county, Ills, are an
swered by Country Gentleman as fol-
lows:
The most popular varieties of onions
for market are White-Southport White
Globe; red-Large Red Wethersfield;
yellow-Yel elbow Globe Danvers There
are others, but the above are considered
the most profitable. Yellow onions be-
ing greatest in demand, the Globe Dan
yers variety. owing to its uniform
shape, bright color and excellent quail
ity, is universally accepted as the stand
ard. 1t will keep better than any other
kind and even if accidentally frozen in
storage, if more covering is added and
it is left alone until thoroughly thawed,
it will come out little the worse for its
experience The writer has grown no
other variety for market for 10 years.
Much of the success of the crop depends
upon the quality and freshness of the
seed sown. 1t is better to pay I'll a
pound more for selected strain of re-
liable seedhouse than to be fooled by
cheap seed. Northern grown seed is
preferable to Californian.
In the yield of onions per acre there
ia very wide range, from 200 to 1000
bushels, and these numbers are not
quite the extremes either. for occasion
ally crop of ], 200 bushels is heard of,
and it is by no means uncommon to see
crops of less than 200 bushels But
man who can average 500 to 900 may
consider himself successful onion
grower while 400 to 500 is very fair
crop. The width of the rows, the quail
ity and quantity varying from four to
six pounds per acre. of seed sown, the
adaptability of the soil and the extent
to which it is fertilized, the attention
given to cleanliness and cultivation
these are the factors governing the size
of the crop.
The transplanting system has many
advocates, principally among the young
er growers; the older hands seem con-
tent with their success by the usual
method. The chief advantage appears to
be that the crop can be secured early, at
q time when prices are likely to be good
On the other hand, there is much extra
labor attached to the transplanting plan,
though if the land is prepared before
hand and kept stirred with the harrow
or other implement so as to destroy all
sprouting weed seeds much less wedding
will be required after the plants are
once set 1t is said also that the yield is
larger and the bulbs are more uniform
in size, but against this must be charg-
ed the expense of sowing in cold frame
or,hotbed (if very early onions are de-
sired), the trimming of roots and tops be-
fore setting and the t1ansplanting itself.
the last job Of some magnitude when
done ON large scale The varieties
named above are we'll adapted to trans
planting, but the Prize Taker, on account
of it's large size, is the favorite for the
purpose. Its keeping properties, how
ever, are distrusted by many. Under IA
yorable conditions and with the best
treatment transplanted onions can be
harvested Aug. l or very soon after.