48 ESSEX SOCIETY. 



mellow the surface is made, the better. Shallow ploughing, say 

 from four to six inches deep, is usually practised. Once plough- 

 ing only in the spring, and frequent harrowings, are practised. 

 Before the ploughing, the dressing is usually spread upon the 

 surface of the field, so as to be covered, or intermixed in the 

 furrow. The mingling and subdivision of it, is effected by the 

 use of the harrow. 



Whether it would not be advantageous, occasionally, to stir 

 the land to the full depth of the soil, is a point on which there 

 is a difference of opinion ; most of the cultivators inclining to 

 the use of shallow ploughing only. There are some facts tend- 

 ing to show, that occasional deep stirring of the soil does no 

 harm to the onion crop, but on the contrary is decidedly bene- 

 ficial ; as for instance, onions do better where carrots have 

 grown the year preceding, than after any other crop. The car- 

 rot necessarily starts the soil to the depth of ten or twelve 

 inches. Possibly there may be some other influence upon the 

 soil from the plant itself. Our belief is, that the thorough and 

 deep stirring of it, is the principal preparatory benefit. 



2. The manure best adapted to promote the growth. 



Any strong manure, well rotted and finely subdivided, will 

 answer. But the general impression seems to be, that manure 

 from stables, where the horses are freely fed with grain, is the 

 best; and that it should be at least one year old, because it will 

 not be sufficiently rotten in a less time. All agree that the 

 dressing for the land should be kept near the surface, well 

 mixed, and as fine as possible, though we have seen, the pres- 

 ent year, a very superior growth of onions, where green 

 manure from the barn-yard was applied in the spring ; but par- 

 ticular pains were taken to subdivide and intermingle it with 

 the soil ; and to bush-harrow the land so thoroughly, that very 

 little of the manure was exposed upon the surface. 



Muscle-bed is frequently used upon onion land. A portion of 

 this is deemed by some almost indispensable ; we have known 

 the continued use, for half a dozen years in succession, even 

 without other manures, with a continuation of fair crops ; but 

 the general impression is, that it will not do to repeat the appli- 

 cation of muscle-bed many years in succession, the effect 

 being to harden the land, and make too much of a crust about 



