EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICAL GROWERS. 



RAISING ONIONS. 



BY A CONNECTICUT SEED-GROWER. 



The reason why many do not succeed in their first 

 uttt nipt at raising onions is because they do not select 

 ground which has been suitably prepared in the cul- 

 tivation of the two or three previous crops. It is a 

 mistake that onions do better, year after year, on the j 

 same ground, simply because onions follow onions. 

 It i- the higher manuring, more thorough pulveriza- 

 tion and mixture of the soil and manures, and the 

 cleaner and more careful cultivation required every 

 year for onions, than is given to any other crop, that 

 tit ir round better for them. 



Onions will undoubtedly succeed better many years 

 on the same ground than most other vegetables, but 

 there is a limit to this success. In Wetbersfield, 

 Conn., formerly so famous for its onions, the cultiva- 

 tion has greatly declined on account of the diminished 

 product to the acre. The onions grown there now in 

 many of the old gardens are small ; they start quickly 

 and irrow vigorously the forepart of the season, but 

 suddenly meet with a check when they should go on 

 growing, even if there be no signs of smut or blast, 

 and ripen too early to attain their former size and 

 productiveness. Much larger crops are now grown 

 in other towns. 



One great trouble among beginners on new ground 

 is that the onions will not bottom and ripen at the 

 usual time, but continue to grow all the season and 

 produce too many " stiff necks " or scallions. There 

 are several causes for this. One is, the land, which is 

 too poor to commence cultivation upon, is heavily 

 manured and plowed deep, bringing the poor subsoil 

 to the surface. The seed in such soil comes up weak, 

 if at all, and the onions grow very slowly until they 

 get hold of the decomposed manure, when it is too 

 late in the season for them to mature. Late sowing, 

 a wet season, and foreign or bad seed, are other 

 causes of scallions. If onions do not begin to bottom 

 before September rains, they never will. 



The onion is not so particular about the character 

 of the original soil as many suppose. Good crops are 

 obtained on almost any soil, not too wet or too dry, 

 except a stiff clay, light sand, or hungry gravel. It is 

 essential, however, that the land should have been 

 made rich by the thorough incorporation of manures 

 and in clean tillage for at least two years from the 

 sod. Corn, and then potatoes, carrots, or beets, are 

 good preparatory crops. One or two heavily manured 

 tobacco crops admirably fit the ground for onions ; old 

 vegetable gardens are perhaps the best, except where 

 cabbages have been grown, which are the worst of all 

 crops to precede onions. Heavy or rather clayey, 

 moist, not wet, loam, generally produces the largest 

 onions. If coarse manure is to be used, spread on 

 twenty to thirty loads to the acre late in the fall, say, 

 about the middle of November, and plow it in not 

 very deep ; or use one ton of fish guano, spread 

 on after plowing and harrow it in. If raw fish is put 

 on in the spring, the onions will continue to grow 



until too late to ripen. In the spring, as soon as the 

 ground will work, plow four inches deep, and spread 

 on a good dressing of fine compost, or three hundred 

 pounds of Peruvian guano or superphosphate of lime, 

 and harrow it in well ; back harrow and harrow again, 

 and if not smooth enough, dress with rakes. When 

 not manured in the fall, fine hog-pen or stable ma- 

 nure, free from grass and weed seeds, should be 

 plowed in in the spring and the guano or other fer- 

 tilizers harrowed in. 



Every farmer and gardener should have a reel and 

 line, and a marking rake. They will save a great 

 many steps in laying out ; besides, the straight and 

 uniform rows enable the workmen to accomplish a 

 great deal more in cultivating and weeding with the 

 modern hand-weeding implements. 



The Reel below may be made of wood, though iron 

 (which may be bought) is preferable. When made of 

 wood it consists of a square frame with projecting 

 top and bottom pieces with holes through the centres 

 to insert a stake. It is turned by one of the sides ex- 



REEL AND LINE. 



tending through the top piece for . handle. The other 

 side should extend a couple of Inches through the 

 bottom piece to hold the line when run off. In the 

 figure the handle is shown as inserted separately, 

 which is not necessary ; the projection above referred 

 to is not shown. A shorter stake will do for the 

 other end of the line. Common three-stranded cord, 

 about a quarter of an inch thick, is the most suitable 

 for the line. To construct a Marking Rake, make the 

 head three feet ten inches long by two inches square. 



