61 



in the Bellarine district of Port Phillip. The import into the Unitsd 

 Kingdom in 1884 represented £552,000. The export from Victoria 

 during 1887 came to 6,036 tons, valued at £33,482." 



The following notes may possibly be some guide t > those who think 

 of growing Onions : — 



Soil. — A well drained soil is necessary ; it should be light rather 

 than heavy, though the latter is more suitable when the climate is 

 very dry. A rich loam is the best soil, and the ground should be as 

 level as possible, so that the Onions shall not be washed out by rains. 



Rotation of Crops. — Onions should not be grown in the sime spot 

 for two successive years, but alternated with some other crop, such as 

 corn or potatoes. 



Manure. — Well rotted stable manure is better than any artificial 

 manure, the sweepings of poultry and pigeon houses, and bat- manure 

 are very useful; night-soil well mixed with dry earth, or lime, or 

 ashes may be used with greater advantage. It should be dug or 

 ploughed in 5 or 6 inches deep before sowing. It is an excellent plan 

 to collect weeds and bush into a heap, burn them and scatter the ashes 

 over the soil before digging or ploughing. 



Preparation of Ground. — Whatever the nature of the soil, it is in- 

 dispensable that it should be broken up fine. The ground must be 

 dug over with a fork or spade, and then the surface made as smooth 

 and level as possible by raking. It may be rolled, as onions for-n best 

 bulbs in firm ground. For cultivation on a large scale, it will be ne- 

 cessary to plough and harrow. After harrowing, it is recommended 

 by Peter Henderson that the surface should be further levellel by some 

 kind of "smoothing harrow" such as Meeker's Smoothing Disc Har- 

 row, in which the revolving discs pulverise the soil to a depth of three 

 inches much better than it can be done by raking, and the smoothing 

 board which follows in the wake of the revolving wheels makes the 

 surface, if free from stones, smooth as a board, and far better than it 

 can be by raking. 



Sotcing the Seed. — In the Canary Islands, the seed is sown broadcast 

 in October, and the seedlings transplanted in December during light 

 rains, but transplanting weakens the plants for a time, and if there is 

 dry weather, it is almost fatal. It is much better to sow by means of 

 a drill, and afterwards thin out. In sowing the first row, a line should 

 be stretched. The distance between the rows varies, but 12 inches is 

 recommended. Every ninth row may be omitted to form a pathway. 

 The seeds are sown thinly, and lightly covered by raking. About 

 Slbs of seed may be used to the acre. 



Cultivating. — Deep hoeing is not advisable, as the ground must be 

 kept solid, but when the lines of young seedlings first make their ap- 

 pearance, a hand cultivator may be applied between the rows. Weed- 

 ing and thinning should be done by hand. The distance between the 

 onions in the rows is from 4 to 6 inches. When the thinning and 

 weeding is done, the surface should be thoroughly broken up by using 

 a wooden rake across the rows. 



Harvesting takes place in the Canary Islands during April and May. 

 When the bulbs have attained their full size, the leaves are bent down 

 at the neck of the bulb by the back of a wooden rake. This checks 



