656 Junior Naturalist Monthly. 



Europe are made of willow-wood, which is exceedingly light, though 

 tough when well seasoned. And we must not forget what fine whistles 

 we can make as soon as the bark " slips " on the willows. It would be 

 interesting to observe how long the whistle season lasts, between the time 

 when the bark will " slip " and when it " binds." 



Fig. 3. — Pollen-bearing catkins of the willow. 



THE ONION. 



Ada E. Georgia. 



Every one knows the onion in its cured state in the market; many 

 are fond of it, either alone or when lending its flavor to foods of duller 

 taste. But few, even of those who cultivate it ever think of it as a lily, 

 or that the lovely " Stars of Bethlehem " that open their white or azure 

 blossoms in the time of dafifodils, are its near relatives. They and the 

 onion have the same family name, Allium. 



But it is the poor relation, the Cinderella of the lily family ; valued 

 only for its usefulness, and grown for profit. In the Bermuda Islands, 

 where almost the whole industry is employed in the growing of two lilies 

 — the Easter lily and the onion — it is the latter which pays the better and 

 is valued most. 



Any boy or girl can raise onions ; but to raise good ones, that pay for 

 themselves and are a pride to the grower, demands careful thought, and 

 hard work. But when such care and labor is spent upon them how they 

 do reward it ! Grown-ups expect their acres to yield from five hundred 

 to eight hundred bushels each, and I know of one boy who sold his little 

 garden crop of onions for eleven dollars, more than all his other vegeta- 

 bles were worth. 



Onions are raised from seed, from " sets," which are small bulbs 

 formed underg-round by the "potato" or "multiplier" onions; from 



