OMBROMETER. 



ONION. 



imed in the lUdiuui, 



When the la*Unl arrived, their name, x. , 



nd altar (loving that thy were not dia.|iia>ind from taking put in 

 U> mam, they were lad to the altar o( Zeus the guardian of oath* 

 (life *>*), "no" they iwore that they had gone through all tho 

 preparatory exercues required by the Uwi, and that they would not bo 

 guilty of any fraud, nor of any attempt to interfere with the fair 

 cuun* of the cam**. Any on* detected in bribing his adversary to 

 yield him the victory was heavily fined. After they had taken the 

 oath, their rtlitHr' and ouuntryuwn aooompauied them into the 

 (tedium, exhorting them to acquit thenwdve. nobly. 



The uriioi in the Olympian 'gam** were at first of sonic intrinsic 

 value, hke thoaw given w the game* deMribed by Homer. But after 

 the 7th olympiad, the only pria given was a garland of wild olive, 

 ouUfrom a tree in the w>cred grove at Olyuipu, which was said to have 

 beea broocfat by Heracles from the land of the Hyiwrboreans. Palm 

 leave* wen at the yi" time placed in the hands of the victors, and 

 their "_ together with UM game in which they had conquered, 

 were proclaimed by a herald. A victory at Olyuipia, besides being the 

 highest honour which a Oreek could obtain, conferred so much honour 

 on the state to which he belonged, that successful candidates were fre- 

 (jucntly aolicitod to allow themselves to be ]iroclaiuied citizen* of 

 Ttntn to which they did not belong. Freeh honours awaited the 

 victor on hi* return home. He entered hia native city in triumph, 

 through a breach made in the wall for his reception ; banquets were 

 given to hint by hi* friend*, at which odea were sung in honour of hU 

 victory ; and his statue was often erected, at his own expense or that 

 of hi* fellow citizen-, in the Altis, as the ground at Olympia which 

 was conaecrated to the games was called. Three instances are on 

 reoord in which altars were built and sacrifices offered to conquerors in 



; the celebration of these games, Olympia was a centre for the 

 e of all Greece, for the free interchange of opinions, and for 

 UM publication of knowledge. The concourse of people from all 

 Oreece afforded a fit audience for literary productions, and gave motive 

 for the composition of works worthy to be laid before them. Poetry 

 and statuary received an impulse from the demand made upon them 

 to aid in perpetuating the victor's fame. [PINDAR, in Biou. Div.j 

 The influence of the games was thus extended through every part of 

 Oreece. Whether the effect of the exercises themselves on the national 

 character was good or evil, Is a doubtful question. The exercises of 

 the body, on which these games conferred the greatest honour, were 

 fty*"""^ by some philosophers as tending to unfit men for the 

 active duties of a citizen (Arist, ' Pol.,' vii. 14, 18 ; Athen., x., 413) ; 

 while they were regarded by others as a most necessary part of a manly 

 education, and as the chief cause of the bodily vigour and mental 

 energy which marked the character of the Hellenic race. 



The Olympian garnet continued to be celebrated with great splendour 

 at Olympia under the Roman emperors ; but at length fell into dis- 

 repute, and were formally abolished by Theodoshu in A.I). 394. The 

 above description of the Olympian games will serve also for the most 

 part for the other three great festivals of Greece. The chief points of 

 difference between them will be seen by referring to the articles 

 ISTHMIAN GAMES, NEMEAN GAMES, nnd PYTHIAN GAMES. Several of 

 the Oreek states in course of time established festivals in imitation of 

 the Olympian games, which they likewise called Olympia ; but their 

 reputation was for the most part local. 



(Pausanias, v. vi., Ac. ; West's Pindar, Preliminary Ditertation ; 

 ' 



Waohamuth's HtOatitchc AlierthuaukitHtlt, Th. i. ; Krause, Ofi/mjn 

 adtr DurtltUng Jer yroixn Olymjnxhfn Sphle ; Thirlwall's and 

 (in.U'i //ufory nf Grtetx.) 



IIKUMETER. [rUm-GAt'CK.] 



uMKN. a pi or prognostication of future events, supposed to be 

 an intimation from a superior power. According to Varro (' De, Ling. 

 Lit,' lib. v. c. 7), the word is derived from the language of a person 

 peaking: "Omen, quod ex ore primmn elatum est, otmtn dictum;" 

 which was also the opinion of Cicero (' Ue Divin.,' i., c., 45), who says, 

 " Neque solum Deorum voces Pythagoroi observitavcrunt, sed ctiam 

 hotninum, qtue vocant omma" (the Pythagoreans attended to the 

 word* not only of gods but also of men, which they called onions). The 

 term afterwards comprehended all signs of future events. 



In all probability there ii no nation that has not at uonie time enter- 

 tained a belief in omens. We find traces of it in tho Scripturrs. 

 Among the Greeks and Romans it was general. The Persians, 

 the Arabian., the Scandinavians, the Germans, the Icelander!., the 

 ancient Briton*, were all imbued with this superstition ; as were also 

 the early Christians. 



Many curious instance* of Roman superstition with reference to 

 onras are enumerated in Pliny (xxxviii. 2. The unlucky omens 

 preceded the battle of Cannjc are enumerated by Bilius Italini* 

 ..i., v. 2, Ac. ; we ahw Lucan i., v. 622, Ac. Pausanias (iv. l:i> 

 numerate* the omens which announced the fate of the Messenians in 

 their truggle with the Laocdicmonians. SaetoniuM (' Jul ,' S . 

 that Cinmr, in landing at Adnimetum in Africa with hi army, 

 hap|iened to fall on hi* face, which was reckoned a bad ,m ( n ; hot, 

 with great presence of mind, he laid h.ild i.f tho ground with liis right 

 hand, and kiaaing it as if he hod fallen on purpose, ho exclaimed 

 Tenco te, Africa " (I take poswwion of thr*, Africa). A similar 

 tory hi told of William the Conqueror, on landing at Pevensey. 



Omens have been frequently spoken of with contempt by men of 

 Homer makes Hector say 



" Without * ilgn hU swonl the brave man draw, 

 And uk* no omen but hi* country's enue." 



Wytlwn, in hi* 'Abuses stript and whipt,' and Dryden and Lea 

 in hU ' (Edipiu,' act iv., sc. 1, satirise this superstition. Butler fre- 

 >|iu'iitly alludes to omena in his 'Hudibras;' and by no writer have 

 they been more successfully ridiculed than by Gay in his fable of the 

 ' Farmer's Wife and the Raven.' 



A superstitious regard to omena in our own country formerly made 

 a considerable addition to the stock of human misery. Generally 

 speaking, we now look back with indifference on the trivial and 

 ridiculous accidents which alternately afforded matter of joy or sorrow 

 to our ancestors. Nevertheless, in many country places, a superstitious 

 regard to omena still exists. 



v I BUS. [STAUE CAURIAQE.] 



OMNIUM, a term used in the Stock Exchange, to express the value, 



ki ii .-is an average, of the different stocks in which a loan is usually 

 funded. Thus, a loan having been contracted for on a certain day, 

 . .ige is made of tho stocks in which such loan is contracted, at 

 the price which they bore on that day, and the fund thus formed as an 

 average of the whole is called Omnium. (M'CuUoch's Dictionary / 

 



OXluN. The species from which the varieties of the common 

 onion have been derived is the AUiunt Cept. Its uses are almost uni- 

 versally known, and its cultivation is practised in most countries. It 

 was used and liked in Egypt ; and the Israelites, under Moses, murmured 

 that they could no more procure it. (Numb., xi. 5.) In Great Britain it 

 has been naturalised from an early date, but is not supposed to be 

 indigenous. The range of latitude within which it may be grown 

 extends from the tropics almost to the coldest verge of the . temperate 

 zone. Its leaves and roots are of an annual nature, inasmuch as they 

 die in the course of a single summer, after perfecting a bulb ; the 

 latter however is biennial, and capable of putting forth fresh roots 

 and loaves in the following season, and of acquiring an increase in 



Onions will succeed in any good rich soil, provided it be neither too 

 wet and adhesive, nor, on tho other hand, too dry and light. They 

 may even be grown successively on the same spot for a nuin 

 years, contrary to what happens with the majority of crops. Abund- 

 ance of well-prepared manure should be thoroughly incorporated in 

 digging the soil The dung of pigeons and poultry is used with 

 advantage; and some, particularly the French gardener*, prefer 

 sheep-dung. 



The time of sowing the general crop is from the middle of February 

 to the middle of April, according to the state of the ground and of the 

 weather ; but early sowing is best. The seeds may be sown broad- 

 cast or in very shallow drills : the latter mode admits of the (-- 

 being more easily stirred on the surface and kept clean. v In either 

 case the seeds should be covered as lightly as possible. 



When the leaves indicate, by the general yellowness of their | 

 that their office has been performed, the necks should be bent, and the 

 bulbs pulled up soon after, and spread so that their fibres and 

 may dry and wither in the sun. They may then be stored up in any 

 dry airy situation. 



Very large onions may be obtained by sowing thickly in April on 

 poor soil, so that the produce in the first summer may be of small 

 ci/e. Tho crop is then taken up as above directed, and the si 

 and firmest are selected for planting in rich and well-prepared 

 the following spring. 



For a supply of young onions in spring, the sowing should be 

 made in August. Onions are sometimes attacked by a grub at 

 the root. ' Trenching the soil to a good depth, soot, charcoal-dust, 

 and lime-water, have severally been successfully applied as remc 



The following are the principal varieties : 



Kttrly Sih-cr-siinnal valuable only on account of its earliness. 



Klnr-skinncd moderately large, Hat, shining, white, mild. 



Portugal large, oblate, imported largely from the country of w Inch 

 it bears the name, but only adapted for a supply during the early pai t 

 of winter ; quality rather mild. 



Ti-t/nili the largest of all the varieties : oval, or somewhat flat: 

 light red, mild, but does not keep long. 



ftpaniik, or Reading large, flat, white, mild ; resembles tho Portugal 

 onion, but is better adapted for cultivation in this clii 



Stnalmrg large, flat or globular, light red, tinged with green, strong- 

 flavoured, and keeps well. 



l>ti>lfunl and <,'Mc are sub-varieties of the preceding, of milder 

 quality, and yield generally good crops. 



./'imi't'i Keeping large, pyriform, br 

 v.cll ; flavour strong. 



middle-si/.ed, flat, deep red ; kn-px well, but of the 

 strongest flavour, on which account it is medicinally profetred : 

 ill.., v,,nrties. 



- or Strate-col'w, ,..., 7/e on jaunt of the French) 



small, globular, firm, valuable for pickling. 



Twu-Mtulttl small, roum'jsh, green, with little foliage. 



There arc at least twenty varieties of the onion, of which the silver- 



brownish-red; keeps remarkably 



