THE WORK BEGINS. 25 



I make it a practice to apply even the poultry droppings 

 after plowing. They are a most valuable and effective fer- 

 tilizer for onions. Of course, they should be dry and fine, 

 not a pasty mass. To get them in good condition for use 

 and preserve all their strength, I allow them to accu- 

 mulate during the w^inter under the perches, upon a layer 

 of dry muck, and scatter sifted coal-ashes thickly over them 

 once a week or oftener. You can spread this mixture, even 

 at the rate of ten tons or more per acre, over the plowed 

 surface, as evenly as possible, and mix it w^ith the soil in 

 the subsequent process of harrowing. 



Of course, there are many more manurial substances that 

 individual onion-growers may have at command, or within 

 reach, such as dried blood and dried fish, cotton-seed meal, 

 cotton-seed hull ashes, tobacco refuse, bone-meal, etc. All 

 these and many others may be applied to the onion field 

 in the same manner as used for other crops, only in greatly 

 increased quantities. 



Salt and lime are hardly ever of much benefit on these 

 highly-manured grounds, except, perhaps, when the growler 

 operates exclusively with stable manures. In that case,' 

 light dressings (loo pounds salt, 500 pounds lime) may be 

 of advantage. 



The most convenient method of applying all dry and fine 

 manures after plowing, but before seed sowing or plant 

 setting, is by means of a fertilizer drill, which not only dis- 

 tributes those plant-foods evenly, but also aids in mixing 

 them with the ground and in smoothing the surface. If 

 a fertilizer drill is not at hand, the manures have to be 

 broadcasted as well as you can do it. 



Harrowing and Rolling. 

 In order to get the desired mellow seed or plant bed, 

 harrows, and perhaps a roller, have to be used freely and 



