lo Feb., 1911-] Pliosflioric Acid in Relaiionto Soils andVegeiaiion. 71 



Harvesting. 

 Onions are harvested from January to March, according to location. 

 By means of the skimmer, the blades of which run along a couple of inches 

 -below the surface, all of the onions are removed from the soil. The onions 

 are ready for harvesting when the tops begin to turn yellow and wither. 

 Harvesting operations may be carried out when approximately two-thirds 

 of the crop have reached that stage. 



The practice of breaking down the tops gives no practical results, ex- 

 cept that the bulbs mature earlier; and the idea that as a result of this, 

 the sap will be restricted, and the bulbs will increase in size, is an erroneous 

 •one. In Nature's own time, the tops will bend over and so restrict the 

 iiap and keep it in the bulbs. In late districts, so as to harvest the crop 

 before any excessive autumn rains set in, it may be necessary to break 

 the tops by aid of a small roller, so as to hasten the ripening of the crop. 

 In Arizonaj and other central localities of the United States, it is the usual 

 practice to break the tops, so as to get an early crop ; it is considered 

 that the loss from the reduced yield will usually be more than made up 

 by the higher prices for an earlier crop. If the crop is at all backward, 

 the tops may be broken to hasten the ripening ; but it must be emphasized 

 that the best onion crops are those that ripen without any artificial aid 

 whatever. 



After the skimmer has removed the crop from the soil, and the onions 

 have been raked into rows, they are allowed to remain in the fields for 

 .several days to cure. The bulbs should not be left too long in the open 

 as, if left on the ground until they are dry, the first or outside skin becomes 

 hard and peels off. Should any .seed-heads appear at any time during 

 the growth of the crop, they must be broken out, as they render the quality 

 •of the bulb very inferior. After curing, the bulbs are stored in large 

 crates, built for the purpose, or in barns. Stored onions should be kept 

 thoroughly dry as any moisture will cause them to sprout and germinate. 



PllOSl^nOlUC ACID IN RELATION TO AUSTRALIAN 

 SOILS AND VEGETATION.* 



T. Cherry, M.D., M.S., Director of Agriculture. 



In the Ycar-Book of Agriculture for 1905, and, subsequently, in my 

 address as President of Section G of this Association, at the Adelaide 

 meeting, 1907, I attempted to formulate the results of our investigations 

 •concerning the chief chemical plant foods of the soils of Victoria. The 

 present paper is an extension and amplification of the same investigations. 

 In generalizing about our soils, it must be remembered that large areas 

 of extremely rich volcanic and recent alluvial soils do not exhibit the same 

 characters in regard to phosphoric arid that we find in the soils of 

 average fertility and productiveness. Witli this proviso, the general pro- 

 positions laid down are — 



(i) That nitrogen is relatively al>und;int, l)eing pre.sent usually to 

 the extent of .1 per cent., and often to doui)le that amount. 

 Except in districts of h.cavy rainfall (over 35 inches fairly 

 evenly distributed throughout tlu- year), it is present in 

 forms very readily available for the plant. 



• TapiT read nt Sycliioy iiiootinK ol the .Australasian .Vssocintlon for the Adv.inreinent of Science — 

 Jnnunrv, I'.MI. 



