cially require large quantities of moisture during their ^^^^ ^^^ 

 growth are usually grown upon bottom lands. Plants 



Ploughing for the onion crop should ^ ,,. .. 37 



preferably be done in the fall to a depth 

 of eight inches or more, leaving the soil in the furrow to be 

 acted upon by the frost during the winter. It at the same 

 time becomes more compact — the onion likes a solid seed 

 bed. When for any reason the ploughing has to be done in 

 the spring it should be done very early and worked down 

 solid. The lands should be narrow, so that the numerous 

 dead furrows will drain off excessive surface moisture early in 

 the spring, as it is desirable to get the seed sown very early. 



As soon as the condition of the soil will 

 permit in the spring it should be worked ^^^ ^^ ° ^ 

 over with the harrow or pulverizer as arrow an 

 deeply as the ground will allow and rolled " verizer. 

 with a heavy roller, which should be followed at once with 

 a light harrow, which will loosen the surface soil and form a 

 light mulch to help conserve the moisture. This operation 

 should be repeated each w^eek until it is time to sow the seed, 

 which is in this latitude wiien the apple trees begin to bloom. 



The seed should be sown with a hand seed drill about 

 three-quarters of an inch deep and in rows about fifteen 

 inches apart, using about six pounds of seed per acre. 



In about five days after the seed is sown the field should 

 be gone over with the weeder to destroy any weeds that have 

 started to germinate near the surface, and again in three or 

 four days or before the onions come up. Always run the 

 weeder across the rows. 



After the onions are up so that you can see the rows 

 cultivate them carefully with the wheel hoe using the sharp 

 blades that are made for that purpose and going not more 

 than one-half inch deep. 



As soon as any more weeds appear to be germinating 

 go over the rows again with the weeder. The weeder may 

 appear to be doing some damage, but if handled carefully 

 there is no danger, as we have sown an extra pound of seed 

 to allow for some being pulled out. 



When the onions are about four inches high it will prob- 

 ably be necessary to weed them once by hand. This will 

 not prove to be a tedious job if the weeder and wheel hoe 

 have been used with good judgment. 



