CHAV. xiY VILLA GAEDENING 453 



Wonder, i foot ; Kiugleader, 2 feet ; Williain I. 3 feet. Second 

 Earlies — Hundredfold, 4 feet ; Culverwell's Telegraph, 4 feet ; 

 Huntingdonian, 4 feet. Main Croj) — Blue Scimitar (this is a 

 very usefid old Pea, and very reliable for bad seasons), 2|^ feet ; 

 British Queen, 6 feet ; Ne Plus Ultra, 6 feet ; Omega, 2| feet ; 

 Telephone, 4 feet. 



CHAPTER XIV 



The Onion. — This chapter might be divided into two sections 

 — first, the autumn or -winter crop ; second, the spring-sown Onion. 

 Taking the first section in the order set down, 



The Winter Onions are commonly confined to the Tripoli 

 section ; but this is by no means necessary, as the White Spanish, 

 the Globe, and all the best keei)ing varieties will succeed just as 

 well sown in autmnn as the Tripoli. Indeed, wherever the Onion 

 maggot is very troublesome I should strongly recommend autumn 

 sowing to get the plants in advance of the maggots. I have sown 

 this class of Onions from the 1st of August to the 10th of Septem- 

 ber, and I do not think any hard or fast line should be laid down, 

 as the climate varies so much, and the character of the season 

 should be taken into account ; but somewhere about the middle of 

 August is a good time. Sow on rather firm land — I mean land 

 that has not been recently dug with a spade or fork. The surface 

 may be deei:)ly hoed or scuffled over with some suitable tool, and, 

 of course, it should be in good heart ; but a top-dressing of soot, 

 salt, and superphosphate may be given with advantage when the 

 stirring of the surface takes place. Sow in drills from 9 to 12 

 inches apart, and keep free from weeds through the autumn and 

 winter. 



Transplanting may take place any time during February or 

 March, but the earlier the better, provided the land is in good 

 condition ; in fact, the preparation of the land is very important, 

 for to grow large Onions of mild flavour it must be rich, and should 

 at the same time be tiiun if the bulbs are to ripen perfectly. The 

 best plan is to wheel on a good dressing of manure in December — 

 not later, if possible, and ridge the ground up roughly immediately 

 after. If there has been any injury from maggots or fungi diu-ing 

 previous years, give the land a good dressing of salt, soot, and lime 

 in something like the following proportions : — 5 bushels of soot, 5 

 bushels of lime, and 56 lbs. of salt, the whole to be thoroughly 

 mixed together, and laid in a heap to amalgamate a month or so 

 before using. This quantity will be suflicient for a bed 4 rods or 



