234 ONION. 



ONION. 



The best soil for Onions is a deep, rich, loamy, mellow aoil, 

 on a dry bottom. A sandy loam that is strong enough to raise 

 good crops of Corn and Potatoes will make an excellent ground 

 for Onions. In selecting a place for growing this vegetable, it 

 is well to choose one that has been previously Well tilled with 

 hoed crops and kept clean — such as has raised a fine crop of 

 Beets or Carrots. The Onion is an exception to the general 

 Tule of rotation in crops, and not only can be grown successfully 

 upon the same ground for many years in succession, but the bulbs 

 are better and finer, after four or six years of cultivation with this 

 crop, than during the first year. It is also necessary that the 

 ground be highly manured and well prepared. 



The preparation consists in ploughing the ground deep, 

 harrowing thoroughly, breaking up aU the lumps, if any, and 

 making it as fine and hght as possible. It should be manured 

 with fine, thoroughly rotted barn-yard manure, at the rate of 

 twenty-five tons to the acre, and, besides this, all the cleanings 

 of the pig-stye, poultry-house, and earth-closet that can be 

 spared, should be worked in with the harrow. Pure ground 

 bones, at the rate of a couple of tons to the acre, may be used 

 every two or three years with most decided benefit. If at any 

 time it is decided to grow enormous specimens, that will take 

 prizes at our agricultural shows, there is nothing like a barrel or 

 two of Onions, well rotted, wherewith to dress the bed in which 

 it is designed to grow them. 



The surface of the ground shoidd be finished off as nearly 

 level as it can be done, and cleaned entirely of stones, sticks 

 and rubbish. If it is intended to grow Onions on a large scale, 

 it will be advisable to use a machine made expressly for sowing 

 the seed, and which sows two rows at once, making the drills 

 and sowing at the same time. If only a small garden-bed is 

 required, the drUls should be drawn about a foot or fifteen 



