70 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [lo Feb., igii. 



per acre is largely used. This amount is fed to the crop in three or four 

 sowings, at intervals of two or three weeks, the first application being 

 made when the onions have grown to the size of an ordinary lead-pencil. 

 The nitrate of soda is always applied during the growing season. 



As the result of some extensive manuring experiments carried out at 

 the New Mexico College of Agriculture, U.S.A., lasting over a term of 

 five years (1905-9), it was found that the best manure for onions was 

 nitrate of soda ; an application of 300 lbs. per acre increased the crop by 

 over 4 tons per acre. An application at the rate of 600 lbs. per acre in- 

 creased the crop at the rate of nearly 8 tons per acre. In Northern 

 Indiana, onions are principally grown in drained swamp lands, which are 

 composed of rich black soil from 3 to 8 feet deep. There, 1,000 pounds, 

 of commercial fertilizer is used containing 5 per cent, nitrogen, 6 per cent, 

 phosphoric acid, and 10 per cent, potash. Later on, dressings of nitrate 

 of soda or sulphate of ammonia are given. In the Gulf coast States of 

 America, onions are largely grown and the yield averages 300 bushels per 

 acre. The fertilizer in use in those districts is composed of : — 



Sulphate of Ammonia (25 per cent.) ... ... ... 200 lbs. 



Dried Blood ... .. .. ... ... 300 n 



Cotton-seed Meal ... ... ... ... ... 300 // 



Acid Phosphate ... ... ... ... ... 800 // 



Muriate of Potash (50 per cent.) ... ... ... 40c // 



It will thus be seen that the necessary fertilizer for onions is one in 

 which nitrogen predominates ; at the same time, an occasional dressing 

 with potash is beneficial. As stated previously, the onion is generally 

 considered to be a surface feeder. Therefore, any chemical fertilizer 

 used should not be ploughed deeply into the soil — all food supplies should 

 be near the surface. At the same time, some growers regard it as a deep- 

 rooting plant ; and, on some volcanic soils which crack considerably 

 during the summer, onion roots have been found at a depth of 4 feet from 

 the surface. 



Varieties. 



The variety most extensively grown in Victoria is the Brown Spanish, 

 w^hich, in addition to its fine flavour, also possesses very excellent keeping 

 qualities. An early variety of the Brown Spanish is now on the market, 

 which has the reputation of ripening at least three weeks earlier than the- 

 ordinary kind. This variety has not been tried extensively in Victoria, 

 but a small plot, which has been planted at the Burnley Gardens for trial 

 purposes, up to the time of writing, shows this early variety to be true to- 

 its reputed characteristic. 



The varieties which are largely grown in America are the Red and 

 White Bermudas, for early onions, and Yellow Globe Danvers for general 

 requirements ; other varieties are Wethersfield, a medium large onion, red- 

 coloured and strong-flavoured ; Prizetaker, a large globe-shaped yellow 

 onion of a mild flavour; Ailsa Craig, a very popular onion, large and 

 handsome, of a pale brown colour, only a fair keeper, but a good exhibi- 

 tion onion ; Spanish Silver Globe, a mild early onion, not possessing any 

 keeping qualities ; Early Golden Globe, one of the largest and a magnifi- 

 cent exhibition onion, ripening early and keeping well. Of the largest 

 known onions, two Spanish-Italian varieties are grown; these are the Giant 

 Rocca and the Flat Red Rocca, and both are particularly mild in flavour. 

 One of the most popular onions in the Western American States is a variety 

 known as Australian Brown. It is not definitely known in Australia what 

 this variety is, but it is supposed to ha^■e originated from some seed sent to- 

 America from Australia, probably from seed of the Brown Spanish variety. 



