408 The Eradication of Wild Onioii. 



So matters proceeded until the end of 1910, the lucerne 

 and grass plots giving each year a good crop of hay. But by 

 the end of 1910 the lucerne plant had begun to fail, and the 

 grass plot to get poor also, and accordingly it was decided to 

 plough both plots up and, possibly, re-sow. This was done, 

 and on May 22, 1911, Mr. Reed wrote : "We ploughed up the 

 two plots last summer. It was such a wet time that I did not 

 sow tares, but left it bare fallow. This past winter (1910-11) 

 onions came up very thick except on Elliot's plot and the 

 lucerne. There was scarcely any on Elliot's plot. On Saturday 

 last we had in the steam cultivator over all the field ; on 

 Elliot's plot we could scarcely find any bulbs. Now the 

 cultivator has gone a little deeper I do not know what will 

 be the result, but I feel inclined to put all the piece where 

 onions are down to the grass mixture next month. I may say 

 that during the last two years we have not seen, on Elliot's 

 plot, a single onion strong enough to seed ; therefore I think 

 they have not made any side bulbs, and so have almost died 

 out. ... I think if the land is drained and sown down to the 

 grass mixture it would kill the onions out cheaper than any 

 other way." ' 



On receipt of this report visits were paid by Mr. Freear first 

 and then by myself to the farm, and on the occasion of my 

 visit (July 19, 1911), there were other visitors present who 

 corroborated my observations. The land was then all lying 

 fallow. On the upper part of the field, outside the experimental 

 area, the land was thick with onions ; the long brown stems 

 were lying all over the surface, and the onions gave quite a 

 white appeai-ance to the field. Not only the old bulbs but the 

 " off -sets " also were in profusion, and, on breaking open a lumj) 

 of soil, bulbs of all sizes were frequently found in it. This 

 continued to a depth of 8 to 10 inches. The idea that a single 

 hot dry season will kill the onion is hereby disproved ; 

 indeed a trial was made, l)y actually hanging up the bulbs to 

 dry in the sun during June, July, and August, and they were 

 found to be as vigorous as ever, and to come up freely when 

 planted again in the autumn. 



Passing on to the plot where lucerne had been, a very 

 different state of things was found. There were only a few 

 long stems to be seen, and what few bulbs were found were 

 quite small ones. Where, here and there, the lucerne had 

 failed in patches, onions were however to be found. Though 

 it could not be said that the onions had disappeared, it was 

 clear that they had been very greatly reduced. 



Coming next to the " Elliot's plot," there was an even more 

 marked change, for there was not a single onion stem to be 

 seen over the whole plot, and to find an onion on it anywhere 



