J 66 VEGETABLE GARDENING. 



the onions are about the size of a half dollar and before the 

 tops fall over, it is a good plan, if the land is not very rich, 

 to apply some quick-acting- fertilizer such as hen manure or a 

 commercial fertilizer broadcast over the crop. This should 

 be done just before or during a rain if possible. For this pur- 

 pose dry, fine hen manure is good, but any rich, nitrogenous 

 fertilizer will answer. 



If the plants are going to make good onions they will be- 

 come weak in the neck just above the bulb when nearly grown 

 and fall flat on the ground, where they should be allowed to 

 lie undisturbed until the tops and roots are entirely dried, 

 when the bulbs are easily pulled out of the ground with a rake 

 or onion puller. In the vicinity of St. Paul, this time will be 

 in August or the early part of September. About four rows 

 of bulbs should be thrown together, and they should beturned 

 with a rake every few days until perfectly dry and then be put 

 under cover to protect them from rain. If they are allowed to 

 get wet several times after being pulled, the outer skins are 

 liable to come off and thus make the bulbs unsightly. If not 

 pulled for some little time after they-are ripe, especially if the 

 season is moist, new roots are very sure to start and the bulbs 

 become grown so firmly into the soil that the work of pulling 

 and drying them is increased. The work of cutting or twist- 

 ing off the tops, called topping, may be left until the onions 

 are marketed, but they will be found to keep much better if 

 "topped," since if the tops are left on they prevent a free cir- 

 culation of the air through the bulbs. 



"Scallions" or "Thick Necks." Sometimes, too, the tops of the 

 plants do not die down as they should but remain green and 

 continue to grow after the bulbs are well formed, and become 

 what arecalled "scallions" or"thick necks." This is generally 

 due to the planting of poorly selected seed, but sometimes it is 

 not to be accounted for. In such cases it is generally recom- 

 mended to break the tops down, which certainly does no harm, 

 but it is of doubtful value. A better way is to pull such 

 plants as soon as they begin to grow vigorously after once 

 having formed good bulbs, dry them as much as possible and 

 remove the tops. However, such onions do not generally 

 keep well and had better be used during autumn and early 

 winter. 



