ONIONS 187 



is not possible to plant all the Onions the same day 

 as they have been prepared, they are covered with a 

 board on which a fairly heavy weight is placed. This 

 is to keep the plants straight ; otherwise they would 

 be likely to curl or twist, and this would make it more 

 difficult to plant them, and also hinder them becoming 

 established quickly afterwards. 



These blanc hdtif or " Early White Onions " are 

 at first planted very thickly by market-gardeners, 

 who allow little more than i or i in. between 

 them. Great care is taken not to plant too deeply, 

 about f in. deep being considered quite deep enough 

 for all kinds of Onions. If planted much deeper, 

 the plants do not develop so freely or so well. Some 

 growers plant the young Onions in rows, allowing 

 3 or 4 in. from plant to plant. In either case they 

 are not allowed to reach their full size, but are sold 

 as soon as the bulbs are an appreciable size. In this 

 w r ay the Onions are cleared as quickly as possible and 

 the soil becomes available for another crop. 



During October seedling Onions may be pricked 

 out in the way described, but if the work is not finished 

 by the first week in November, it is advisable to leave 

 the plants in the seed-beds until the following February, 

 as the winter frosts would be almost sure to kill 

 transplanted seedlings. 



In the event of severe weather setting in before the 

 plants have taken a good hold, it is advisable to protect 

 them at night with a sprinkling of straw or litter, 

 taking this off as early as possible in the morning. 

 About the end of April, or early in May, these autumn 

 sown Onions are fit for market, coming into use at the 

 same time as the " Ox-Heart " Cabbages (see p. 92). 



