204 THE KITCHEN GARDEN. [MARCH 



they become of a very large size. The leaves and roots are excellent 

 food for cattle ; producing, during summer, an uncommon abund- 

 ance of foliage ; the outside leaves, for this purpose, may be stripped 

 off every eight days during the season, but if large and well deve- 

 loped roots are wanted for winter fodder, the leaves are better to be 

 left on. 



SOWING ONION SEED. 



In order to have onions in good perfection the first year from 

 seed, which can certainly be effected in the middle, but more partic- 

 ularly in the eastern States, you must be careful to fix upon a suit- 

 able soil, which is a strong, light, rich loam ; always avoiding that 

 which is subject to become parched or bound up by heat and drought ; 

 or that, in consequence of too large a proportion of sand, is likely to 

 become violently hot in summer, for this is extremely injurious to 

 those plants by causing them to come to an untimely maturity, mani- 

 fested by the extraordinary perfection that onions arrive to in the 

 moderate climates of Europe, where they have not to encounter a 

 violent summer heat. 



If this ground had been strongly manured in November, and then 

 thrown up into high sloping ridges, it would be much improved and 

 meliorated by the frost, &c., and could now be easily and expedi- 

 tiously levelled for sowing. 



When this is not the case you may now give such ground a good 

 coat of well-rotted cow dung, or other good rotten manure, and dig 

 it a full spade deep, incorporating the dung therewith and pulverizing 

 the earth as you proceed in the digging ; this should not be attempted 

 till the ground it sufficiently dry to pulverize well and fall to pieces 

 under the rake ; but the earlier you can get it in this state, and the 

 seed sown, the larger and better onions will you have. 



There are various methods of sowing the seed; but first I will give 

 you the one practised by the most judicious and careful gardeners. 



As you proceed in digging the ground rake it well after you ; that 

 being done lay it out into three and a half, or four feet wide beds, 

 with alleys between of about a foot wide; then with the back of a 

 rake push off the light loose earth from the top of each bed into the 

 alleys, one half to the one side, the other to the opposite; this done, 

 and being provided with good seed, sow it thereon at the rate of one 

 pound for every sixteen rods, and with a shovel cast the earth out 

 of the alleys over the beds, covering the seeds evenly about half an 

 inch deep; then rake the beds lightly, drawing off all the lumps into 

 the alleys. 



When the plants are up let them be kept very clean and free from 

 weeds of any kind by a good careful hand- weeding, which is to be 

 repeated, from time to time, as they require it; and where they grow 

 too close thin them to about two inches, plant from plant, all over 

 the beds; by these means you will have excellent onions for the 

 table the first year. 



Others dig the ground, levelling the surface evenly after them as 

 they proceed in digging without raking it, and lay it out in beds as 



