Reviews. 261 



the reception of the seed. It is the first field labor of the spring. The use 

 of compost manure will depend much upon the constituents of the soil with 

 which it is mixed. If the soil be a sandy loam, with a porous subsoil, the 

 compost will do tolerably well ; but if it he a black soil, with a clayey sub- 

 soil, such as are most of the lands where onions are raised in this vicinity, 

 stable manure, or muscle-bed, or leached ashes, or a mixture of these, will 

 be a better application. The quantity ordinarily applied annually, is from 

 four to five cords to the acre. Whatever is applied, should be generously 

 applied. It will be vain to expect full crops of onions without full manur- 

 ing, When the manure is collected, it is benefited much by a free appli- 

 cation of elbow grease in its preparation. The cultivator of the onion must 

 work early and late, and in good earnest. Nothing short of forcible and 

 persevering labor will answer. No man who is afraid of soiling his hands 

 or the knees of his Irowsers will do to engage in this business. Close work 

 at the proper time, is the only sure guarantee of a good crop. — pp. 86-88. 



Premising that the usual routine is gone through, the last 

 part is : — 



6. The time and manner of harvesting. 



When the tops begin to wither and fall, then it is usual to start the 

 onions from their bed and throw them together in rows, say eight or ten 

 growing rows into one. After they have lain thus about one week, they 

 are stirred and turned with a rake, and, in about one week more, when the 

 ground is dry, and the weather fair, they are gathered up by cart loads 

 and taken to the barn. Here they are sorted and cleared of refuse leaves, 

 and then they are in a condition to be hunched or barreled. 



It should be remarked, that a large part of the labor of weeding, gath- 

 ering, and sorting, the onion, can be performed by children from ten to six- 

 teen years of age. Boys of this age, when properly instructed, will do 

 about as much as men. They are more nimble, and can come at the woi'k 

 with greater facility. The sorting of the onion is frequently done by girls 

 as well as by boys. From three to five dollars a week, at one cent a basket, 

 are usually earned by them during the period of harvesting — which in- 

 cludes the months of September and October. After the crop is taken oflT, 

 if the surface is sloping, it is useful to plough furrows about one rod 

 apart, to keep the surface from washing. Unless this is done, all the 

 herbage being gone, much of the soil will be likely to be misplaced, by 

 the melting of snows and running of water in the spring. 



The inquiry arises, whether the growth of the onion is limited to soils 

 of particular character, or whether it can be cultivated upon any good soil, 

 with proper attention. We know that there is a popular impression, that 

 there are but few places in which the onion can be cultivated advantage- 

 ously. So far as our own observation has extended, this impression is in a 

 great measure erroneous. Like every other plant, the onion grows best on 

 very good soils, in very good condition. But we have known very fair 

 crops, on plain, light land, after the same was well saturaiei. w.tli manure, 



