24 ONIONS FOR PROFIT. 



Concentrated Manures. 



When I can get good wood ashes, leached or imleached, 

 at a reasonable cost, say ^3 or ^4 per ton for the former 

 and $8 or $10 per ton for the latter, I use them freely, even 

 where a heavy dressing of compost was applied. Wood 

 ashes are especially serviceable in preventing the ill effects 

 of a protracted drouth. Two tons of the unleached article 

 per acre are not too much, while three or four times that 

 quantity of leached ashes may be put on with the expecta- 

 tion of good results. Unleached ashes, however, are a 

 strong, but rather one-sided manure, and it will be well to 

 add 300 to 500 pounds of bone meal or acid phosphate per 

 acre. 



If ashes are not to be had, or not at reasonable cost, I 

 usually apply about one ton of some high-grade, complete, 

 special vegetable or potato manure, costing ^40 or more. In 

 the place of it we might use a ton of superphosphate (acid 

 phosphate, or perhaps Thomas' slag or phosphate meal) 

 and 300 pounds or more of sulphate of potash. If kainit 

 or muriate of potash is to be used in place of the sulphate, 

 it should be applied in the autumn before, at the rate of 

 say 1000 pounds of the one, or 250 pounds of the other. 



I never omit the application of nitrate of soda in small 

 but repeated doses, using about 75 pounds per acre each 

 time, and perhaps 225 or 300 pounds per acre in the aggre- 

 gate. It can be sown broadcast like wheat, and the first 

 application should be made shortly after the seed is sown 

 or the plants are set out. Sulphate of ammonia might be 

 used as a substitute for nitrate of soda, and may be put on 

 all at once at the proper time for the first application of 

 the nitrate, sowing about 250 pounds per acre. In the 

 majority of cases the use of these chemicals gives good 

 results. 



