EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICAL GROWERS. 



During the cold winter of 1856-57, I kept two 

 hundred bushels of onions in a wood-house, that was 

 covered with matched boards. On the inside of stud- 

 ding I tacked up some old boards, and filled the space 

 between them and outside of building with salt hay, 

 not to prevent freezing, but to avoid sudden thawing. 

 I covered the onions with old pieces of carpets, bags, 

 etc. They remained until some time in April, when I 

 took them to market as sound as when put in, not 

 losing more than a bushel. Never allow them to be 

 stirred until you are sure the frost is out, for it will 

 surely ruin them. Neither uncover in the least, until 

 they are entirely free from frost. 



I may as well suggest here the propriety of every 

 onion-grower raising his own seed --as good seed is 

 all important to success, and you can not be sure of 

 getting it from seed men. In selecting onions for seed, 

 take medium-sized, round, or deep ones, and by per- 

 sisting in this practice, you will find that your onions 

 will more and more partake of this character, weigh 

 more and keep better than the flat or oval-shaped. 

 Onions are required by law to weigh fifty-six pounds 

 to the bushel, and flat saucer-shaped ones will not 

 come up to tho standard. 



If you wish to have early onions for marketing, sow 

 in September, cover the bed, when the frost first hard- 

 ens the ground, with sea-weed, or any other non-con- 

 ductor, to prevent thawing in winter, uncover in 

 spring, as soon as you find the frost out, and you have 

 onions with two months the start of those put in, in 

 the spring. 



There is a variety called Potato Onion, that is early 

 and much used by market-gardeners. They grow 

 from planting the tuber, attaching themselves around 



the one planted. I have had marvelous increase from 

 this variety. 



Aa it may not be uninteresting to a beginner, I will 

 state the result of my experience in cultivating onions 

 for successive years. In 1836, 1 took up a piece for 

 onions containing an acre and six rods. Soil good, 

 some weeds, and some small stones to be worked out. 

 I planted this piece over a dozen years, drilling 11x11 

 inches all the time. My smallest crop was 357 

 bushels, and my largest 723 bushels, and no season 

 under 500 bushels, except the one I have named aa 

 the least, which was a very wet season, and the crop 

 scalded or mildewed. The season I obtained the 723 

 bushels, a friend of mine had over 1700 bushels from 

 two acres, which he planted in drills Ilx5| inches* 

 These crops were unusually large. I also kept an ac- 

 count of expenses on crop up to time of sale. In this 

 account I charged the crops with every item of ex- 

 pense, interest on land, dressing, labor, tools, etc., etc., 

 and found that I could raise onions for about 17 cents 

 per bushel. Some seasons they cost me more, others 

 less, according to yield of crop, or extra amount of 

 labor to keep clean in wet seasons. They never cost 

 me over twenty, nor under thirteen cents per bushel. 

 Aa to price obtained, I am not so well able to state, 

 aa I often sold in different places, and at different 

 times, and account of sales going in with other arti- 

 cles. I never sold a crop, however, under thirty-one 

 cents, and have often sold for a dollar per bushel. 

 The papers report at this time onions in New-York at 

 two dollars and a half per barrel. From the above 

 statement, the conclusion is reached, that I have found 

 the cultivation of onions profitable, and that any one 

 may do the same under favorable circumstances. 



No. XV. 

 BY SAMUEL BOTJTON, FAIRFIELD CO., CT. 



VARIETIES. Onions will grow on almost any soil 

 that is not too dr7. The kind of oniona which can be 

 raised with the most advantage will depend on the 

 time when it is designed to market the crop. If in- 

 tended for winter, the variety known as the black 

 onion, will be found the best, as they are very solid 

 and firm, and their keeping qualities can not be sur- 

 passed. If for a fall market, that variety known as 

 the Wethersfield Red is better, as the yield will be some- 

 what greater, and they will be ripe a few days earlier. 

 If for an early market, potato onions should be raised. 

 The advantages of the potato onion over the other 

 Kind, are, first, an early market and the use of the 

 ground for some other crop, after they are off; and 

 second, a high price, and one third less labor in their 

 cultivation. The disadvantages are, first, a great out- 



lay is required for seed ; and second, it is difficult to 

 keep the seed during the winter. I would not recom- 

 mend them for field cultivation, unless on a small 

 scale. As the mode of cultivation for these different 

 kinds is essentially the same, one description will 

 answer for the whole. 



SEED. The seed should be procured of some 

 reliable seed-grower, if possible out of the immediate 

 neighborhood, as seed brought from a distance will do 

 better than that which is grown on the ground, where 

 the crop is to be raised. If this can not be done, the 

 seed may be raised on the spot. Sound, firm roota 

 should be selected for seed. They should be put in 

 the ground as soon as the frost is out. -They should be 

 set in rows, twelve inches apart one way, by about 

 six the other. Light poles or twine may be rur 



