ESSEX SOCIETY. 53 



among the plants upon which it feeds; probably considering it. 

 like tobacco, as too noisome to be used by any decently-civilized 

 being. They are said " to seek their food in the night, or in 

 cloudy weather, and retire before sunrise into the ground, or 

 beneath stones or any substance which can shelter them from 

 the rays of the sun ; here they remain coiled up during the day, 

 except while devouring their food, which they drag into their 

 places of concealment." The remedy for these worms, sug- 

 gested by our cultivators, corresponds nearly with that proposed 

 by Mr. Foote, of Berkshire, — " to catch them and pull their teeth 

 out.'''' This being effectually done to all, their operations will 

 be of a limited character. When this is omitted, we have some- 

 times known whole fields almost entirely cut down by these 

 rapacious devourers. They sweep clean where they go, not 

 suffering even the weeds or any other herbage to flourish. 

 They are more frequently found on old ground than on new ; 

 and particularly where the ground has been covered during the 

 winter with duckweed or other vegetable substance, on which the 

 eggs from which they originate may have been deposited. 

 Hence a benefit of clearing the ground of all vegetable matter 

 or other obstructions, in the autumn after the crop is gathered. 

 This clearing also facilitates the early planting in the spring. 

 Autumnal ploughing, as it exposes the soil more fully to the 

 action of the frost, and disarranges all abodes for the winter 

 made by insects, may have a tendency to diminish their num- 

 ber. 



6. The time and manner of harvesting. 



When the tops begin to wither and fall, then it is usual to 

 start the onions from their bed and throw together in rows, say 

 eight or ten growing rows into one. After they have lain thus 

 about one week, they are stirred and turned with a rake, and in 

 about one week more, when the ground is dry, and the weather 

 fair, they are gathered up by cart-loads and taken to the 

 barn. Here they are sorted and cleared of refuse leaves, and 

 then they are in a condition to be bunched or barreled. 



It should be remarked, that a large part of the labor of weed- 

 ing, gathering and sort'mg the onion, can be performed by 

 children from ten to sixteen years of age. Boys of this age, when 



