THE WHYS AND WHEREFORES XX111 



were produced, appealed with tempting and irresist- 

 ible force to the lad's mind. Finally he came to me 

 with a proposition. He must try to grow a larger 

 patch for himself. 



There is no surer way to interest a boy in a certain 

 task, and start him in the right way and in the habit of 

 doing good work, than by letting him know he is to 

 receive a share, or possibly the whole of the proceeds 

 from his own efforts. There is nothing that will dis- 

 courage a boy more quickly than lack of good faith on 

 the parent's side. Don't make it the boy's calf and 

 the father's cow. 



A prominent seedsman that spring offered a prize 

 of $50 for the best crop grown from one ounce of 

 Prizetaker seed. That was an extra inducement, so 

 the lad got the ounce of seed and sowed it in coldframe 

 early in April, transplanted the seedlings to open 

 ground in May, and raised a crop amounting to a 

 plump ton of nice onions which might have taken the 

 prize for largest yield but for the competition by 

 growers in California, As it was, the chief purpose 

 was accomplished, namely to put a good lot of pocket 

 money into the lad's possession. It is safe to promise 

 similar results to any boy for similar efforts. 



The experience of these three seasons had now 

 firmly and permanently established the practice of 

 growing the onions of the Spanish type by the new or 

 transplanting method. It now only remained to im- 

 prove and systematize this new way, and to bring it 

 before the public for more or less general adoption. 

 The first edition of The New Onion Culture came out 

 in the spring of 1891, and made considerable stir 

 among American gardeners. Ever since that time my 

 efforts for the further improvement and simplification 

 of the new method have been continued, apparently 

 with good success. The pages of the little book now 



