The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-04-03
ADVICE ON HOW TO CROW ONIONS
 IN HOME GARDEN
Rich Sandy Loam Contain ing Plenty of Humus
 Most Suitable

Onions, like potatoes, are stan,s crop that IS grown commercially on a very extensive scale. The home gar-.
 oener, however. may like to have a
 1eW early homegrown onions for his
 table or, if space permits, he may wish
 to grow enough of later varieties to
 last his family through the winter.
 The onion will thrive under 2. wide
 range of climatic and soil conditions
 put a rish sandy loam containing
 plenty Of humus is best suited to it.
 AS the crop requires shallow cu1tiva
 ton and it may be necessary to re.
 sort to hand work in order to keen
 It Tree from weeds, it is very desirable
 that the land should be in such con-
 oltlon that it is easily worked. As a
 general rule, it is well to have +ba
 crop follow some other one that has
 been kept under the hoe and free iron,
 weeds the previous season.
 In the North, seed is sown as r1y
 Tn the spring as the soil can he
 orousht 10 the proper condition. In
 the South, onion sets are freouentlv
 put out Tn the autumn and carried through the winter with the protec-
 tlon or a little hay or straw There are
 three methods of propagating onions:
 the 1lrst, by sowing the seAd in rows
 where the crop is to grow; second, by
 sowing the seed in specially prepared peas and transplanting the seedlings to the open ground; and third, by planting sets which have been kept
 through the winter. The first meth cd Is used by large commercial grow
 CTS on account of the amount of labor
 involved in the others. On small areas, however, it may be preferable to plant sets.
 Under normal conditions these may
 usually be obtained at planting time for about $2.50 bushel, or g bush els being required to plant an acre. Onions planted from sets will ripen earlier than those from seed sown in the fields. When the transplanting
 methods is used, the seed is sown ih greenhouses, hotbeds, cold frames. or specially prepared beds at the rate of 5 1-2 to 4 pounds for each acre to be planted. The seedlings are trans planted when they are somewhat | smaller than lead pencil and rather stocky. The root end of the seeding is pushed into the soil with one fin ger. and the soil is then firmed about the plant.
 The seed is sown thickly in drills about 12 to IA inches apart After the plants become established, they
 are thinned to or inches apart. The | maturity of the bulbs may be hasten ed by preventing the continued growth of the tops. This is sometimes accom- pl1shed by rolling an empty barrel over the rows and breaking down the tops. After these are practically dead, l the onion bulbs may be pulled up by | hand from the soil and spread in | dry, well-ventilated place to cure. Thereafter they may be stoned in crates or bags for winter use. In the | North, the crop ripens and is har- vested during the latter part of the summer and early autumn. Tn the Southern states where the crop is grown during the winter, the harvest | ing and marketing period takes place during, the spring months.
 There are several kinds of onions that may remain in the soil over win l ter. The multiplier, or potato onion,, for example, can be planted from sets l in the autumn and will produce ex- cellent green early onions. A large onion of this type contains a number of distinct hearts, and, if planted, will produce a number of small onions. On the other hand, small onion contains but one heart and will produce large onion. A few of the large ones may | be planted each year to produce sets | for the following years planting. The shallot is variety of small on- 1 ion that is frequently planted in early spring for it's small bulbs, or cloves, which are used in the same manner. as onions. The leaves are utilized for flavoring. Another onion-like plant is the chive the small round hollow leaves of which are used for flavoring soups These leaves may be cut free- ! ly, as they are soon replaced by others.