THE ONION CROP

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 March 1940, Page 8

THE ONION CROP

NOW DRYING OFF. Onions are now beginning to ripen and dry off. When this occurs, which can be seen by the foliage beginning to turn yellow, the tops of the plants should be bent over. Opinions differ as to the value of this process, and good results are obtained by not doing it. In wet showery seasons and with early maturing crops it appears to be of value, but unless the onions have finished growth there is little use of bending down the tops. To think that by bending down' the tops you are throwing all the sap into the bulbs is as good logic as to bend over potato tops to get large tubers, or to tie a duck’s head between its legs to cause it to. fatten quickly. The more and faster the sap rises to the leaves the larger in proportion will the bulb be. To stop the circulation and breathing will hurry the ripening process, but not increase the size. The best bulbs are produced by natural means, and although one does not like to prophesy on the weather, no doubt we shall have plenty of heat to ripen off the onions naturally, the result of which will mean better keeping bulbs.