336 



PART 11. 



REVIEWS. 



Art. I. Memoirs of the Caledonian Horticultural Society/. 

 Vol. IV. Part II. 



(Continued from p. 199.) 



41. On the Cultivatioii of Onions; on preparing Ground for Car- 

 rots ; and on destroying the Gooseberry Caterpillar. By Mr. John 

 Wallace, Gardener, Ballechin. Read March 8. 1815. 



Onions. — The soil of the garden at Ballechin was light, 

 and the ground destined for onions was always dug twice 

 a year, viz. in autumn and spring ; giving a good coating of 

 dung in September, and a light one in March, immediately 

 before sowing. The crop of onions was poor, and much 

 infested v»'ith the maggot, and got worse and worse every year. 

 To try the effect of a change of system, the ground was only 

 hoed and raked in autumn, and dug half-spade deep, applying 

 well rotted cow dung in spring before sowing the seed. The 

 crop was excellent, and entirely free from the maggot. The 

 reason assigned for this favourable result deserves attention, 

 as a principle in the management of light soils : — 



" I find light and dry soils are rather hurt tlian benefited 

 by too much labour and pulverising the ground ; and I was 

 led at first to adopt this method, from observing that such of 

 the tenants in my neighbourhood as gave repeated ploughings 

 to their here lands had seldom but a very poor crop after it." 



Carrots. — The ground is trenched, only a few days before 

 sowing, to the depth of 18 or 20 in. ; after this the surface is 

 levelled, a coat of rotten cow dung pointed in, and the seed 

 sown. The carrots are large, and free from maggot. Before 

 the ground was trenched they were small and maggoty. 



Gooseberry Caterpillar. — Watering with lime water, always 

 when the sun shone strongly, effectually destroyed them, with- 

 out injuring the leaves. 



