THE ONION FAMILY 121 



Where the soil is liable to become dry and crack in hot 

 weather an application of salt is very useful. Occasionally 

 dustings with stale soot are necessary for checking pests. 

 Onions cannot " bulb " without copious supplies of 

 water, so during periods of dry weather we must use the 

 water-can. Many growers save all the dirty scullery 

 water containing soap-suds and soda and flood their 

 onion beds with this. The procedure undoubtedly helps 

 to plump out the bulbs, but it is one that everybody 

 would not care to follow. 



In the early autumn the onion tops should be twisted 

 and bent downwards to check seed production (Plate 10, 

 Fig. 1). Later on, when they have changed from green 

 to brown, they are ready for pulling. Do this with 

 the utmost care as a damaged bulb is of no use for 

 storing. 



When the crop has been lifted the onions must be 

 dried. If the weather is fine place them on a tray in the 

 open for about three days, bringing them indoors during 

 the nights. A very useful tray for this purpose can be 

 made by constructing a frame of four pieces of stout 

 wood and stretching small-meshed wire netting over it. 

 See that the netting does not sag on the ground when 

 loaded with bulbs. On this tray the onions will dry 

 speedily, after which they may be stored on shelves, or 

 they may be roped together and hung to the roof of a 

 dry shed. 



Damaged specimens or those which have thick green 

 necks will not keep and should be taken to the kitchen 

 for immediate use. 



To rope onions, take a length of string and some twine. 

 Hold the bulb at the bottom of the string and bind up 



