62 ONIONS FOR PROFIT. 



recommended in preceding chapter, as means of carrying 

 ' his crop unharmed through the dry spells of longer or 

 shorter duration liable to occur in any year. The heavy 

 applications of compost, especially if muck (used as absorb- 

 ing material) is one of its constituents, and perhaps of wood- 

 ashes, also aid in the retention of moisture. 



Means of Irrigation. 



In some localities, however, artificial irrigation is abso- 

 lutely required to insure success ; and almost anywhere it 

 is a good thing to have as an additional safeguard against 

 possible failurCi 



Wherever there is a never-failing supply of water — a 

 stream, a pond, a canal — near the field and higher than its 

 level, or one that can be easily raised to the ground level, 

 it will pay the grower well to utilize it for irrigation, even 

 if the first expense of plant, piping, etc., should be consider- 

 able. In the selection of onion ground I would always 

 prefer a piece that could be easily brought under irrigation. 

 Soil of a sandy character, sandy loam, or sandy muck is best 

 fitted for the purpose. Clay soils are suitable only when 

 they contain, and are made porous by, an abundance of 

 humus. 



A simple and effective method of irrigation is the one in 

 use on Mr. John F. White's place near Morris, N. Y. At 

 the foot of a hill, and slightly sloping away from it, is a 

 tract of deep, rich, sandy muck. A little brook, flowing 

 down the hillside, furnishes a small but never-failing water 

 supply. This can be turned into a deep ditch, dug just at 

 the foot of the hill on a dead level, and forming the head 

 of the lowlands. Another ditch, parallel with the other, 

 forms the boundary on the lower side, and the two ditches 

 are connected by a number of parallel cross-ditches as 

 shown in Fig. 30. All these ditches are provided with 



