SOME PHASES OF ONION CULTURE. 463 



Mr. Olson: What is the best remedy for the maggot? 



Mr. Tapley: The onion maggot when once in the field is 

 very hard to control. Growers have tried using sand, one bucket 

 of sand to six fluid ounces of kerosene, simply soaking the sand 

 in kerosene and then scattering it in the row alongside of the 

 onion plants. Also the use of lime scattered along in the row 

 or some nitrate of soda will sort of make the plants grow quicker 

 and be repellant to the insect. It is a pretty difficult thing to 

 control the onion maggot after it once gets into a field. It is 

 very similar to the maggot which will be found in radish beds. 



A Member: Can you trap the fly that lays the eggs? 



Mr. Tapley : By sowing an early crop such as radishes and 

 holding the onion crop a little late, sometimes good results can 

 be obtained; that is, by holding the onions a little bit late and 

 planting your radishes or cabbage, so that the fly will lay its 

 eggs on those crops and then destroy them. 



A Member: Isn't that a different maggot? 



Mr. Tapley : The true cabbage maggot and the true radish 

 maggot are different maggots from the onion maggot. But if 

 there are no onions in the field the onion maggot must have some- 

 thing to feed on, and if the radish crop is planted they will 

 usually attack that. 



A Member: What I mean is, can't you poison the fly? 



Mr. Tapley : It is pretty difficult to poison a fly, it is prac- 

 tically impossible. You mean by a spray, or something like 

 that? 



A Member: Yes. 



Mr. Tapley: There is no spray that really can be applied 

 to the onion plant, but that sand and kerosene scattered along 

 the row is a sort of a poison. 



Fall Planting. — The question has been asked several times whether 

 it is advisable and profitable to do fall planting. Shrubs and some of the 

 small bush fruits, such as currants and gooseberries, do very well when 

 planted in the fall, but they should be planted as soon as it is possible to 

 move them, which is usually soon after a good killing frost. This gives them 

 time enough to send out little rootlets which gather enough moisture to sup- 

 ply the evaporation from the tops. Great care should be taken to firm the 

 dirt well around the roots and then mulch with well rotted stable manure, 

 using enough to cover the ground to a depth of two or three inches. 



The one great trouble in planting shade or fruit trees in the fall is that 

 they do not send out enough rootlets to gather the amount of moisture neces- 

 sary to balance the evaporation, and consequently the drain is so heavy on 

 the tree that it does not often start in the spring and if it does may die soon 

 after starting. 



Peonies and a great many other perennials may be planted in the fall 

 but should be well protected through the winter. 



Strawberries can be planted with success but the question arises as to 

 whether it pays, as the nurserymen charge twice as much for plants set in 

 the fall. Strawberry beds must be planted one year before bearing, and beds 

 planted in the spring and given good care will make a good solid bed of 

 plants before the next fall, therefore nothing is gained by planting the year 

 before. — C. J. Telfer, Wis. Horticulture. 



