164 VEGETABLE GARDENING. 



generally in better condition for onions than land in any 

 other crop. However, it is a good plan to occasionally change 

 the land for onions, since on new land there is far less danger 

 from disease and insect enemies than on old land. Land that 

 has grown any crop requiring high culture and heavy manur- 

 ing and is free from weed seeds will generally grow good 

 onions. Sometimes onions are raised on newly cleared wood- 

 land or prairie sod with greatest success, simply by sowing 

 the seed broadcast and harrowing it in: but this is seldom 

 attempted. 



Sowing the Seed. Before sowing the seed the land should 

 be made very smooth. It is important to get the seed in the 

 ground as early in the spring as possible. As soon as the 

 land can be worked in the spring, the seed should be sown, 

 the earlier the better. The seed of some kinds can be sown in 

 the autumn to advantage, but on land that is inclined to 

 '"bake" it is a bad practice and is seldom attempted. There 

 is, however, a fair chance of a crop even if the seed is sown as 

 late as the first of June, but a first-class crop from seed sown as 

 late as this is almost out of the question. By the middle of 

 May, all onion seed should be in the ground. The dis- 

 tance apart of the rows will depend somewhat on the variety 

 grown, but for ordinary purposes the seed should be sown in 

 rows fifteen inches apart and covered one inch deep. About 

 eighteen good seeds should be sown to each foot of row, which 

 will make it necessary to use four or five pounds of seed per 

 acre. If there is danger of much loss from the depredations 

 of the onion maggot. more than this amount of seed should be 

 used: where maggots are very troublesome, some growers use as 

 much as six pounds of seed per acre. The seed sower should 

 be carefully tested on a floor or other smooth surface before 

 using it in the field to see how it works. It is very important 

 to know the germinating qualities of the seed sown, since if it 

 is of low germination more must be sown than if of best qual- 

 ity. Ninety per cent of good onion seed ought to germinate 

 if the conditions are favorable. It is important to closely study 

 these matters, as it is desirable to have the land well stocked 

 with plants and yet not over stocked. It is better to fail of 

 getting quite so much seed on the land as is desired than it is 

 to get very much more than is wanted, for in the first case the 



