140 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 



To set the plant, the dibber is inserted on the line and 

 pressed away from the planter; the plants are set in 

 with the other hand ; the dibber is then removed, and set 

 in the ground just beyond, and the soil pressed firmly 

 to the plant. This operation insures that the soil will be 

 pressed firmly about the roots. The plants must be set 

 perpendicularly, or an ill-shaped onion will result. When 

 one has many hands at work, they should be divided into 

 squads, each placed under a careful foreman, who should 

 see that the work is done properly and keep the planters 

 supplied with sets. 



The seedlings may be removed from the seed-bed by 

 passing a trowel under the row and lifting a number of 

 them at once; then separate them from the soil and 

 trim off the long roots and leaves. The leaves are in 

 the way of later cultivation, and the roots bother in 

 planting. 



If the young onion plants do not start off readily, and 

 the conditions of temperature and moisture are correct, a 

 light dressing of nitrate of soda will be found valuable. 

 One grower advises the use of 75 pounds of nitrate of soda 

 to the acre. An application is made as soon as the field 

 has been set out ; and a repetition of this is made about 

 every ten days, until five applications have been given. 

 If this is done when the plants are free from dew and rain, 

 there will be no difficulty from scalding the foliage. It 

 should not be carried on too long, as it will keep the onions 

 growing after they should have ripened ; this same diffi- 

 culty will be experienced if one uses a fertilizer containing 

 an unusual amount of nitrogen, or if one uses a complete 

 fertilizer on muckland. 



