RE/'ORT OF MR. W. S. BLAIR 367 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



loam abounding in decomposed vegetable matter, and well drained either naturally or 

 artificially. Almost any good garden soil can be put into shape to grow a good crop 

 of onions by using a liberal supply of manure for one or two years in succession to 

 get a large supply of readily available plant food. The ground should be manured in 

 the fall and ploughed under. In the spring this can be ploughed again and the 

 manure thoroughly incorporated by using the disc and spriugtooth harrows. Poor 

 soil will not produce good onions, and it requires several years of enriching to bring 

 such sjil into condition for the successful culture of the crop. The same ground 

 can bo used year after year unless disease or root maggots attack the crop, in which 

 cas3 a change is necessary. 



The ground on which these onions were grown was previously in roots and was 

 manured in -the fall of 1903 with fifteen one-horse cart loads of stable manure per 

 acre, which was ploughed under. It was again manured this spring with fifteen onet- 

 horse cart loads of stable manure per acre. The ground was worked into good tilth 

 and the manure thoroughly mixed with the soil, and was run into rows two feet apart. 

 Complete fertilizer at the ra'te of 500 lbs. per acre was sown broadcast and lightly 

 harrowed in with the smoothing harrow before the rows were run up. This crop re- 

 quires a liberal amount of plant food in a readily available form, consequently, the 

 liberal use of commercial fertilizer is necessary. A complete fertilizer is the best; 

 that is one containing nitrogen, poitash and phosphoric acid. Wood ashes can be used 

 to good advantage to supply potash. 



This ground was intended for roots and was run into rows 24 inches apart. These 

 rows were raked down somewhat and the plots set in rows 2 feet apart. Onions are 

 usually set in rows one foot apart on the level ground. The yield per acre on these 

 plots is calculated from the number of pounds obtained from one row 66 feet long, 

 allowing two feet of space for each row or equal to 1-330 of an acre for each plot; con- 

 sequently, had these been grown in rows one foot apart the crop yield per acre would 

 have been larger than what is given in this report. 



Owing to 'the snortness of the season here satisfactory results cannot be had from 

 growing onions from seed sown in the ground, although the variety Extra Early Red, 

 will do fairly well in this way. The practice now followed is to start the plants in 

 the hot-bed and transplant to the open ground. The transplanting does not entail 

 much more labour than thinning the plants of seed started in the open. 



The seed for these plots was sown in boxes, 15 by 30 inches, holding six inches 

 deep of soil, on March 24. The seed was planted in drills | of an inch deep in rows 

 3 inches apart, using 10 to 12 seeds per inch. It requires 6 or 7 weeks from the date 

 of sowing to get good plants for transplanting. The soil used in these boxes was a 

 rich loose sandy loam. The boxes were set into a hot-bed made March 9, which had a 

 good even bottom heat. They were given ventilation on warm days, and sufficient 

 moisture was supplied to produce good thrifty growth. Onions should not be forced 

 in the hot-bed, as a spindling growth is not wanted, and makes very unsatisfactory 

 plants for transplanting. After May 1 the glass is left off the hot-beds entirely. This 

 hardens up the plants for setting in the open. 



Transplanting to the open should l>e done as early in May as possible, and the 

 nearer the plants can be got to about the size of a lead pencil at this time the belter. 

 The boxes were taken to the field when ready for transplanting. May 21. The plants 

 were set 3 inches apart, using a garden line to set by. They were set as deep as the 

 plants were in the starting box. The crop was frequently cultivated to kill weeds, 

 keep the ground loose and friable, conserve moisture, admit air and allow the bulbs 

 to readily develop. 



Harvesting should be done when the most of the necks have turned yellow and 

 are considerably withered. It is not advisable to defer this operation much after th^ 

 middle of September, Even at this time some green tops will be found in the earliest 

 maturing varieties, but they will soon dry up after liarvesting. They should be pulled 

 and left) in rows for a week or ten days. If there is danger from frost thev should be 



