246 THE PEOPLE 'S FARM AND STOCK CYCLOPEDIA. 



ting the crop can be greatly reduced. I recommend fall plow- 

 ing for onions, unless the land is sandy. I would plow in nar- 

 row beds, back-furrowing, so that the center would be the high- 

 est. Then top dress with good, fine manure, so as to cover the 

 ground pretty well; from twelve to twenty loads to the acre will 

 not be too much. As soon as the land can be worked nicely in 

 the spring, go to work and mellow three inches of the surface 

 thoroughly, and you are ready to sow. The drag shown in the 



cut will be a great help in pre- 

 paring the land, and by its use 

 hand raking can be entirely dis- 



\ \ \\\\_| \j^_ pensed with. For one horse, 



four feet square is a good size. 

 A GARDEN DRAG. It is best to make it of light 



material, and then, when you wish more weight, you can load it 

 or ride on it. 



Good seed is of the greatest importance, and it should be 

 bought only of men of established reputation. If a large amount 

 is to be sown, a seed drill is indispensable. I prefer that the 

 rows be fourteen inches apart, and it is very important that 

 they be made straight. Stretch a line at the side of the bed, 

 and with a marker you can lay off four rows at a time. 



In using this marker you walk backward and keep the first 

 runner at the line ; in coming back you run the first runner in 

 the last mark, and if at any time you find the rows are getting 

 crooked, it will be best to stretch the line again and start anew, 

 The seed should not be covered deep, and it is wise to attend to 

 the sowing yourself, unless you have a perfectly trusty hand. 

 The drill covers as it drops, and can be run so as to cover from 

 a fourth inch to two or three inches. For early sown onions, 

 the lighter the covering the better. I would advise that where 

 only a small plot is sown, and the sowing is early, the seed be 

 sown on the surface and covered with sifted manure, as this will 

 give the plants a thrifty start. 



Some care and calculation will be necessary to know that 

 you are sowing the right quantity of seed per acre. I would 

 recommend that an ounce be weighed out and put in the drill, 



