AMERICAN HOME GARDEN. 157 



with safety, being perfectly hardy after they once sprout. In 

 New York, sow during March and April. 



FORMS OP ONIONS. 



Fig. 77. 



a. Inferior Globe Onion, running to thick neck. 

 6. Flat Bareripe, or early Onion. 



c. Common flat Onion. 



d. Best form of Onion. 



The varieties of onion are numerous, and the names still 

 more numerous than the varieties. The names designating 

 color are abundantly sufficient to distinguish the desirable 

 kinds, form being entirely secondary, and readily changeable 

 by the care or carelessness of the cultivator. 



In general it may be remarked that a good form for a com- 

 mon turnip is a good form' for an onion. See Fig. 80, p. 186. 



Common red, number one, is an onion of the best quality, 

 being milder and sweeter than the others, but the white and 

 yellow are preferred where the discoloration produced in cook- 

 ing by the former is regarded as a serious objection to its use. 

 The yellow may generally be kept for use later in the spring 

 than either the red or white. 



The ground upon which onions are to be raised should be 

 light and rich, having been used for some clean crop, or for 

 onions, the previous season ; and if, after the ground is prepared, 

 straw or rubbish is spread evenly upon it and burned, it will 

 destroy to some extent those weed-seeds which would be most 

 troublesome, and afford a good top-dressing for the young crop. 

 After the burning, the seed should be sown in drills one foot 

 apart and half an inch deep, and carefully raked in. If the 

 soil be very light, a gentle pressure upon the surface, either by 

 the back of the rake or other means, will be found to set the 

 earth about the seed and promote its prompt vegetation. After 



