Rural School Leaflet 999 



Onions. — A rich sandy loam, containing plenty of humus, is a good 

 soil for onions. This vegetable has been grown very successfully on the 

 muck lands of New York State. 



The seeds are planted in rows, or drills, twelve inches apart. They 

 should be planted not deeper than one half to three fourths of an inch. 

 Onions grown for exhibition should be thinned to four or five plants for 

 each foot in the row. 



For very large or very early onions, it is an advantage to plant the 

 seed in hotbeds, transplanting to the rows in the field when the onion 

 seedlings are six to eight inches tall, being sure to have a large number 

 of roots with each seedling. 



Onions require frequent shallow cultivations, with persistent attention 

 to weeds. This must often be done by means of hand-weeding. 



In early fall the tops of the onions should droop over and die and at 

 this time the onions should be pulled. Allow them to cure for a short 

 period by lying on the ground. Then cut off the dead tops and store 

 the bulbs in crates in a well-ventilated place. 



Onion sets may be planted instead of seedlings, or they may be used 

 as a short-season crop with some other vegetable, as tomatoes. 



There are several kinds of onion sets, as the Multiplier, or Potato, onion ; 

 the Top, or Tree, onion; Shallots, Cibol, and other kinds. 



When placed on exhibition the outer dried skin of the onion should be re- 

 moved. Exhibit onions that are uniform in size, color, shape, and the like. 



Parsnips. — Parsnips require a rich loamy soil; a deep loam is 

 best, so that the long root can develop fully. Plant the seed about half 

 an inch deep in rows fifteen to eighteen inches apart. Radish seed planted 

 with the parsnips helps break the surface soil and marks the rows. 

 Thin the plants so that five or six parsnips remain for each foot in 

 the row. 



Good clean culture is necessary for the best results with parsnips. 

 The roots can be dug late in the fall and stored for winter use; freezing 

 in the soil improves the flavor. The parsnip can be left all winter in 

 the ground and dug in the spring. 



For exhibition, great skill is required in digging in order to obtain the 

 full-length root without injury. The roots should be washed clean. 

 Samples of uniform size, shape, and color should be exhibited. 



Squash. — A good loamy soil will meet the requirements for growing 

 squash. Plant five or six seeds of a bush variety in hills three by three 

 feet, using a good forkful of well-rotted manure under each hill. Stir 

 the soil frequently at first. After the vines cover the ground cultivation 

 is no longer necessary. The weeds should be pulled. 



For late squash the hills should be spaced eight by eight feet instead of 



