lKi;SH GxVRDEMIiNG. 



29 



The Onion, 



l>y Andkkw 



I'i:ai;son. 



'J'liK true Oiiiun Allium frjia hflongs to ;i laiiiily 

 of liliiUH'ou.s plants embracing sluillot, garlic, 

 anil K'ck. It is believed to be a native of Central 

 Asui, and its history is steeped in antiquity. 

 Iiavinsi been an object of worship by the idolatrous 

 I'lu'vptians 2,UUU years B.C. 



V\'e know it as a vegetahle of everyday use. 

 highly nutritive whether used as a sauce, a 

 boded vegetable, or a pickle. Indeed, niany of 

 the natives of Southern Europe use it as an 

 article of daily food in the raw state. It may be 

 stati'd here that the Spanish or Portuguese grown 

 Onion is milder tlian the Englisii grown one. 



Tile bulb contains sulphuretted oil and phos- 

 l)lioric acid, both free and combined with lime, 

 acetic acid, citrate of lime, lignine, albumen, 

 sugar and nuicilage. 



flic juice yields an excellent vinegar, and if 

 till' liulb be roasted and pulped a first-class 

 poultice for suppurating sores is formed, while a 

 boiled Onion is known by housewives to have an 

 excellent curative (>ffect on colds, if taken going 

 to bed. 



Interesting as the medical and I'hemical side 

 of the Onion may be, my duty is to write of its 

 culture. A rich, medium soil of good texture, 

 well manured and deeply worked in antunni, is 

 the best foundation for good cultivation. Being 

 a gross feeder the Onion pays for liheral treat- 

 ment, and if a greenhouse, or small hot frame 

 even, l)e available an indoor sowing now will give 

 much better results than the outdoor sowing later 

 on. 



Proceed by jjrejjaring seed boxes with a mix- 

 ture of loam and leaf soil — equal parts — with a 

 l)inch of sand to keep the whole porous. Level 

 the bo.xes and sow the seeds. Thinly cover lightly 

 and water with a fine-rosed water can. Keep the 

 soil moist until germination takes place, then 

 bring the boxes as close as possible to the roof 

 glass so as to i)ermit the yovmg plants to make a 

 sturdy, robust growth. As soon as the plants are 

 strong enough to prick off into frames or boxes 

 have that done to a distance of two inches apart, 

 the soil being similar to that in which the seed 

 was sown. If care is taken the plants will grow 

 ipiickly into planting size, and every grower at 

 tins particular stage should make sure that no 

 coddling is allowed — that is to say, air nnist be 

 given freely to insure hardy plants foi- planting 

 outdoors. 



The plants ought to be ready for placing in their 

 growing quarters not later than the end of April, 

 and fine weather must lie chosen for that work. 

 I invarialily choose ground which has been 

 cropped with Celery previously to grow the main 

 crop. This has the advantage of being rich and 

 deeply worked. Firm the whole by tramping 

 and rolling; bring the surface to a fine tilth and 

 draw lines one foot apart and one and a half to 

 two inches deep. This apjjlies to spring sown 

 outdoors, indoor sown, or autunni sown Onions, 

 or Tripolis, as the latter are commonly called. 

 Place the plants very carefully into position every 

 six to nine inches, covering with soil and pressing 

 the roots firndy into their new bed. Finish nicely 

 as each line is planted. 



Shoidd seed be sown outdoors, to produce a 

 smaller, but perhaps a better winter-keeping 

 Onion, the same space is required, but the seed 

 will be sown thinlv in one luutinuous line. 



Beds of four feet width are sometimes used to 

 sow broadcast, but the scarcity of seed should not 

 permit of this being done in 1918, except, perhaps, 

 ni the case of Onions for pickling use, which 

 ought to be sown on poorer soil in April and left 

 to grow thickly and produce small bulbs. 



Before sowdng the maincrop Onions, in tlu- 

 latter end of February or early in March — accord- 

 ing to weather and soil conditions — the surface 

 of the soil should have a sprinkling of soot and 

 salt, two cheai) but invaluable manures for 

 Onions; little of each is wanted — a mere dusting — 

 but the difference between the treated and im- 

 treated ground will remain clear through the 

 season. When the seedlings become sufficiently 

 strong to thin, have that done in showery 

 weather, reducing to whatever size the grower 

 desires his Onions to mature at. It is sound j)rac- 

 tice to leave the winter-keeping crop fairly thick; 

 the bulbs will be smaller, but likely to rijx'n 

 better, and of course will be greater in innnber; 

 and indeed little short of the larger indoor spring 

 sown Onions in weight. The Tripolis or autunm 

 sown varieties will come in for use during 

 summer, autumn and early winter; the spring 

 sown will follow in their order. 



The Potato Onion has become a general 

 favourite during the last few years, and a good 

 deal can be said in favour of growing it. The 

 bulb, if planted whole in shallow ridges one foot 

 apart early in spring will soon grow into 

 numerous offshoots from the parent bulb; these 

 clusters are like the shallot in appearance and 

 growth, and the individual bull)s can b(> de- 

 tached for household use as required, without in 

 any way injuring the remaining portion of the plant. 



The shallot requires no fuller mention, unless 

 this, that it keeps in a firm state late in the 

 season and is a hardy, thriving plant with very 

 few diseases. The Egyptian Tree Onion (the 

 garden Rocambole) produces bulbets on the 

 stem, W'hich grows from the parent bulb. 

 Bulbils are also formed under ground, but unless 

 for pickling this variety cannot be recommended 

 as a profitable rival to the commercial Onion. 



Onion sets are at present much in favour. They 

 are really immature bulbs of late summer sown 

 Onions, and when ])lanted in spring sjxn^dily ])ro- 

 duce a large-sized l)ulb. 



The summer management is simple, and con- 

 sists in supplying the plants w-ith the necessary 

 liquid in dry weather and manurial stimulant 

 in wet. Common washing soda is a good 

 manure when sprinkled over the ground. Keep 

 weeds in subjection by a frequent use of 

 the hoe. but do not hoe too deeply as the 

 Onion likes a firm surface, and do not feed 

 the crop after the third week in July. Towards 

 autumn the Onions will show signs of ripening, 

 and if the weather is then dry bend the stems 

 down by pressure of a rake or hoe being pa.ssed 

 over the lines. This will encourage a gradual 

 ripening and consequent thin neck — a necessary 

 adjunct to a good-keeping Onion. As soonas the 

 crop shows unmistakeable sicns of being ripe, by- 

 decay of the leaf, lift the bulbs and tie in ropes, 

 in a neat, tightly set way as described in last 

 September's harvesting notes, hanging the ropes 

 in a peach case or under a glass coping against 

 a wall is an excellent way of bringing about a 

 perfect keeping Onion, for unless all superfluous 

 sap is evaporated the Onion will not keep well 

 tlirough our more or less wet winters. 



The diseases of Onions are not many, but the 

 Onion fly is a source of much worry to "rowers 

 of spring sown ones. Strangely enougli, tlie 



