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On Onions, By William Phillips. 
Read February 14th, 1809. — 
Philadelphia January 15th, 1809. 
Sir, 
Some years past upon a journey through Connecti- 
cut, I was surprised at the very great difference between 
their mode of cultivating onions, and that usually pur- 
sued in Pennsylvania; and was forcibly struck with the 
superior advantages of theirs, which enabled them to 
raise prodigious quantities ; for it was not uncommon 
to see fields of ten acres occupied by them.—Since that 
time I[ have frequently proposed to the gardeners around 
this city, to try an experiment upon their mode of cul- 
ture, which is, to sow the seed so thin that they may 
stand at the distances at which they plant their young 
onions (called seed onions) which mode I was impress- 
ed with a belief, would bring them to perfection in one 
year, as it does in Connecticut, our summers being as 
long, and I believe the climate as congenial to them as 
that of the state just mentioned ; they however univer: 
sally objected, asserting that they would not obtain 
their full growth in one year, though I could not find 
that any one had really ascertained it. I was there- 
fore induced myself to try the experiment.—Four years 
past I had a piece of ground prepared in the usual 
mode and season, and sowed the seed about three in- 
ches apart, (which I found could not be done with re- 
gularity in any other mode than puttine’the seeds in a 
bottle, which was afterwards corked and a quill fixed 
VOL. Uk G 
