Vo. 8. 



American Institute — Drainage. 



253 



When the tops beg-in to wither and fall, 

 hen it is usual to start the onions from their 

 led, and throw them together in rows — say 

 ight or ten orowing rows into one. After 

 hey have lain thus about one week, they 

 re stirred and turned with a rake, and in 

 bout one week more, when the ground is 

 ry, and the weather fair, they are gathered 

 ip by cart loads, and taken to the barn. Here 

 hey are sorted and cleared of refuse leaves, 

 nd then they are in a condition to be bunched 

 r barreled. 



It should be remarked, that a large part of 

 he labour of weeding-, gathering and sori- 

 ng the onion, can be performed by children 

 rom ten to sixteen years of age. Boys of 

 his age, when properly instructed, will do 

 bout as much as men. They are more 

 imble, and can come at the work with 

 reater facility. The sorting of the onion 

 3 frequently done by girls as well as boys. 

 Vom three to Jive dollars a week, at one 

 ent a basket, are usually earned by them 

 uring the period of harvesting — which in- 

 ludes the months of September and Octo- 

 er. After the crop is taken off, if the sur- 

 ice is sloping, it is useful to plough furrows 

 bout one rod apart, to keep the surface from 

 •ashinor. Unless this is done, all the herb- 

 ge being gone, much of the soil will be 

 kely to be misplaced, by the melting of 

 nows and running of water in the spring. 



The inquiry arises, whether the growth 

 f the onion is limited to soils of particular 

 haracter, or whether it can be cultivated 

 pen any good soil, with proper attention. 

 Ve know that there is a popular impres- 

 ion, that there are but few places in which 

 le onion can be cultivated advantageously. 

 far as our own observation has extended, 

 lis impression is in a great measure erro- 

 eous. Like every other plant, the onion 

 rows best on very good soils, in very good 

 Dndition. But we have known very fair 

 rops, on plain, light land, after the same 

 'as well saturated with manure, muscle-bed 

 r ashes. A good substratum must be laid 

 efore a good crop can be expected ; and 

 lis being done, a crop may be expected on 

 [most any soil, that will support other ve- 

 etables. 



If we were asked, what course is best to 

 e pursued with land, on which onions have 

 ever been raised, to bring it into a condi- 

 on for a successful cultivation of the crop, 

 'e should say — begin by ploughing to the 

 ill depth of the nutritive soil, and during 

 le first and second years, thoroughly sub- 

 ue and mellow the soil by the cultivation 

 f crops of corn and carrots, with liberal 

 ressings of manure; then thoroughly incor- 

 arate with the soil a dressing of strong ma- 



nure and muscle-bed, just covering this dress- 

 ing; then harrow the surface thoroughly, and 

 clear it of all roots, weeds, or other obstruc- 

 tions; then apply a coating of lively, well 

 rotted manure to the surface, and bush har- 

 row it ; and then it will be in a condition to 

 receive the seed, which is to be inserted as 

 as soon as the opening of the spring will ad- 

 mit of its being done. 



We are aware that we make the raising 

 of the onion dependant upon severe labour 

 and vigilant attention. We know that it 

 cannot be successfully done without these. 

 But it is not labour lost. No cultivation, 

 within our observation, better repays for the 

 labour and incidental expenses. We have 

 known, the present season, acres that have 

 yielded their owners a net income of more 

 than two hundred dollars ; and we know 

 that a man with two boys can well attend 

 to half a dozen acres of such cultivation. 

 Surely, when as at present, there is no limit 

 to the demand for the article, and a ready 

 cash market, those who have acres and are 

 willing to labour, need not be in want of a 

 fair compensation for their labour. 



As samples of the present year's produce 

 in the town of Dan vers, we state the follow- 

 ing that have come under our notice: 



JVama;. Acres. Produce. 



John Po,i?lee, 3 1,980 bushels. 



Daniel Oshnrn & Son, 1 1-.5 870 " 



James P. King, 1 1-3 660 " 



Aaron C. Proctor, 1 1-4 600 " 



E. & D. Buxton, 6 1-2 2,750 " 



Henrv Riir=tihv, 4 2,000 " 



Joseph Bnshby, 3 1,500 " 



Yielding an average of more than 500 

 bushels to the acre. — Cultivator. 



American Institute — Drainage. 



February 15th, 1848. 



R. L. Pell, of Pellham in the Chair. 



Henry Meigs, Secretary. 



Mr. Pell said that drainage, one of the 

 subjects selected for discussion at the present 

 meeting of the Farmers' Club, is a subject 

 of vast importance to the agriculturists; 

 whose success in growing crops, entirely de- 

 pends upon the removal of superfluous water 

 from lands naturally tenacious, and retaining 

 constant moisture; which in nine cases out 

 of ten materially injures cereal crops, and 

 not unfrequently renders vast tracts of land 

 entirely useless for agricultural purposes, 

 which in many instances might be reclaimed 

 at a small expense comparatively speaking. 

 Often two or three land springs destroy acres 

 of valuable land, by rising over the surface, 

 and descending through alternating stratas of 

 clay, gravel or sand, until they reach a hard 

 bottom, where they accumulate and form re- 



