66 VEGETABLE GROWING IN NEW SOUTH WALES 



must be kept free from weed growth ; once weed seed has been worked out 

 of the ground, little trouble will be experienced, as fresh infection may be 

 easily checked. Onions can be grown on the same ground year after year, as 

 the crop does not exhaust the soil as most vegetables do, and is particularly 

 free from disease. Where artificial manures are required, a mixture of equal 

 parts of superphosphate and bonedust at the rate of 2 cwt. per acre will be 

 found useful. 



The most suitable soils are well-drained, fertile loams, the heavier class of 

 soil generally producing good-keeping bulbs which take a little longer to 

 mature than those grown on lighter loams. On sandy soils, a quick-maturing, 

 thinner-skinned bulb is produced, which does not as a rule keep so well. 



As a field crop, onions should not be grown in larger areas than can be 

 properly tended, owing to the large amount of hand-labour that is required. 



The ground should be well worked and in good condition for this crop. 

 The seed can either be sown in seed-beds and the plants transplanted to a 

 distance of 4 to, 6 inches apart in rows with 15 to 18 inches between them, 

 cutting and pinching back the tops and roots when doing so, or else may 

 be sown in drills direct in the field, and the plants afterwards thinned. 

 Seed should not be sown deeper than one inch. 



In all cases it is important that the seed should be firmed in, otherwise 

 germination may be very slow and irregular. 



In the warmer districts seed may be sown from March to August ; the 

 plants from later seedings do not form up well in the warm months. On the 

 tablelands the main crop is best sown in April and May. From *2 to 3 Ib. 

 of seed is sufficient to plant an acre, and as onion seed quickly loses its 1 

 vitality it is important that only fresh seed be sown. All cultivation should 

 be shallow owing to the roots being close to the surface. 



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Harvesting. 



Onions take from six to seven months to completely develop. Bending 

 the stems over is a great aid to ripening. When the tops are withered 

 and are dry and crisp, the bulbs should be lifted ; the plants are simply 

 pulled by the hand, three or four rows forming one windrow. They should 

 be allowed to remain in the sun for about five to seven days, the length 

 of time depending on the weather, but they should not be allowed to 

 scald. If the weather is wet it may be desirable to take the bulbs under 

 cover, spreading them out in an open dry shed and turning them occa- 

 sionally. Some growers adopt the method of bunching and suspending 

 tnem. Before bagging, the tops and roots should be trimmed off, leaving 

 about an inch of the top on the bulb ; sheep shears are very suitable for the 

 purpose. Great care should be taken not to bruise any of the bulbs, for 

 decay sets in quickly. Storage is best effected in cases, in a well-ventilated 

 shed. Under fair conditions a yield of 4 to 6 tons per acre can be expected. 



