62 



the flow of the sap, and causes the leaves to decay, and the bulbs to 

 ripen more quickly. When the leaves wither the Onions are taken up 

 and left lying for 3 or 4 days to dry in the sun with an occasional turn- 

 ing over : they are then strung into ropes for sale. 



Onion Cultivation in Egypt. 



From Bulletin, Jamaica, Aug., Sept., 1894' 



The onion crop of the valley of the Nile is of great importance, and 

 brings an increasing amount of money each year to Egypt, as onions 

 are shipped in immense quantities to England, France and other 

 European countries, and to the United States, where they find a ready 

 sale at good prices. The quality is stated to be so excellent, that 

 efforts are being made in other countries to grow onions from Egyp- 

 tian seed. The United States Agent and Consul-Genera 1 at Cairo 

 says that in all departments of Egyptian agriculture, watering is ac- 

 complished by means of irrigation from the Nile, either directly or 

 from canals. The most popular Egyptian onion known as Haali, is 

 grown in yellow soil, sparingly watered while the bulbs are maturing, 

 that they may stand a lengthened sea voyage with little risk of sprout- 

 ing. There are two stages of cultivation, the first covering the 

 season of the sprouts for transplanting. Towards the end of August 

 or the begining of September, the land intended for the onion crop is 

 irrigated from the Nile. After letting the water run off, it is left to 

 dry until the first ploughing when the plough-shares penetrate not 

 deeper than four fingers breadth. All clods of earth are broken up 

 and pulverised, and the land is divided into plots about ten feet square, 

 and stirrel lightly with a mattock— the favourite implement of the 

 Egyptian farmer, which is double headed, one side being broad, like 

 an adze, and the other like a pickaxe. The seed is then scattered 

 freely and evenly at the rate of about two bushels to the acre. After 

 sowing, a plank is passed lightly over the soil to cover the seed and 

 bring the plots to the same level. The plots are then irrigated, the 

 islets along the Nile being watered four times, and the raised land six 

 times. The first irrigation takes place immediately after sowing, and 

 the water is completely absorbed ; a second, and very light watering 

 is given as soon as the plants appear above ground, and the borders of 

 the plots are sprinkled If the seed is planted in raised land, manure 

 is applied, but if sown in low ground there is ' o need of manure ; the 

 Onions ripen in the first fortnight in October. The second stage 

 covers the period from the transplanted sprouts to the mature Onions. 

 Land intended for Baali onions is soil of good quality, witii no weeds 

 or grass, or yellow land of the same quality, and damp enough to allow 

 the crops to giow rnd ripen. It is irrigated in September, and it is 

 ploughed three times, the plough-share pe letrating to a depth of about 

 eight inches. After a third, and last ploughing, the onions are set 

 out in furrows, at a distance of four inches apart. The furrows re- 

 semble wheat furrows, and the earth covers the onion in the second 

 furrow. In ploughing the last time, the cultivator plants the bulbs 

 in the furrow ; the plough returning in the sec jnd furrow covers 

 them. The stalks, or tops of the seed onions emerge from the soil to 

 a height of four fingers breadth or more. Every 20 days the weeds 

 .are pulled out, in order that the onions may be clear and allowed to 



