68 ONION. 



When the greenness is gone out of the tops of Onions, it 

 is time {o take them up, for from this time the fibrous roots 

 decay. After they are pulled, they should be laid out to 

 dry, and when dry, removed to a place of shelter. 



The small Onions may be planted in the Spring following : 

 even an Onion which is partly rotten will produce good 

 bulbs, if the seed stems be taken off as soon as they appear. 



The Allium fistulosum, or Welsh Onions, are cultivated 

 for Spring salad ; they form no bulbs, but are very hardy. 

 If the seed be sown early in September in rich ground, 

 although the crops may die down in the Winter, yet the 

 roots will continue sound, and put up new leaves early in 

 the Spring. 



The Allium cepa, or common White and Red Onions, 

 are most generally cultivated by market gardeners as a sub- 

 stitute for the Allium fistulosum ; they sow the seed in the 

 Spring and Autumn months, the product of which is pulled 

 and sent to market while young, and generally meets a 

 ready sale. 



The Allium proliferum, or Tree Onion, is propagated by 

 planting the bulbs in Spring or Autumn, either the root bulbs, 

 or those produced on the top of the stalks ; the latter, if 

 planted in the Spring, will produce fine Onions. These may 

 be planted in rows with a dibble, the same as Shallots. 



The Potatoe Onion is of late introduction into this coun- 

 try. It does not produce seed as other Onions, but it increa- 

 ses by the root. One single Onion, slightly covered, will 

 produce six or seven in a clump, partly under ground. 



The bulbs are generally planted in the Spring, from twelve 

 to eighteen inches apart, but they will survive the Winter, 

 and yield better by being planted in Autumn, if slightly 

 covered with dung, litter, or leaves of trees. 



