188 Mcnwtrs of the Caledonian Horticultural Society. 



Art. II. Memoirs of the Caledonian Hortieultiiral Societi/. 

 Vol. IV. Part II. 



(^Continued from p. 57.) 



24'. Observations on the Culture of Onions. By Andrew Duncan, 

 sen. I\I.D. and Pres. Dated Sept. 1. 1818. Read Sept. 8. 1818. 



The object of this paper Is to recommeiul tlie transplant- 

 in<T of onions as iicnorallv as leeks. Dr. Duncan savs he is 

 old enough to remember when transplanted leeks were rarely 

 to be met with in any garden, and he does not despair of 

 living long enough to see the transplanting of onions become 

 as general. The practice is constantly adopted by jNIr. ]Mac- 

 donald of Dalkeith, who puts soot about the roots, and by 

 that means effectually protects the plants from the grub. Dr. 

 Baird, from Bombay, states that transplanting onions has 

 been long the universal practice at some of our settlements 

 in the East Indies, as well as in many parts of the ISIa- 

 labar coast. In the latter country, yoimg onion plants for 

 ti'ansplanting are as currently sold as cabbage plants are in 

 the Edinburgh market. James Warre, Esq., says the prac- 

 tice is common in Portugal, and thus describes it : — " Sow 

 the seed about the end of November or December, on a 

 moderate hot-bed, covered with a few inches of rich good 

 mould, in a warm situation, merely sheltered from the slight 

 frosts by mats. When the plants are about the size of a 

 Ia?-ge swan's quill, or about April, they are transplanted on a 

 rich light mould, well mamn-ed tc/M old ro! ten dnug, the plants 

 at the distiince of about 9 in. each way, generally in beds, for 

 the convenience of access, laving the plants flat, covering 

 lightly the beard or root, and part only of the btdb^ with rich 

 mould, well mixed with two thirds of old rotten dung : water- 

 ing, if the weather is dry, until they have taken root ; sub- 

 seqnentlv occasionallv breakinix the earth bv liixhtlv hoeinu, 

 keeping them perfectly clean from weeds, watering frequently, 

 according to the state of the weather. There they have ^re- 

 (]uently means to water by irrigation, when, upon rich soils, 

 they can grow them to a great size, particularly when they 

 let the water run through small heaps of dung; though, 

 when that is jiractised, or much water given, the onions do 

 not keep so long as others. When ripe, they draw them 

 gently from the ground, give a twitch to the tops, and leave 

 them to season on the ground for a few days before housing, 

 when they directly bind them into ropes with dry straw, not 

 permitting them to sweat in a heap. Their preservation 

 much depends upon the weather being dry and good when 

 housed, and on their not being bruised." 



