Food for this reason that onions, cabbage and those crops that espe- 

 8 cially require large quantities of moisture during their growth 



Ia8 are usually grown upon bottom lands. 



Ploughing for the onion crop should pref- 

 Cultivation. erably be done in the fall to a depth of 



eight inches or more, leaving the soil in the furrow to be 

 acted upon by the frost during the winter. It at the same 

 time becomes more compact the onion likes a solid seed bed. 

 When for any reason the ploughing has to be done in the 

 spring it should be done very early and worked down solid, 

 The lands should be narrow, so that the numerous dead fur- 

 rows will drain off excessive surface moisture early in the 

 spring, as it is desirable to get the seed sown very early. 



As soon as the condition of the soil will per- 

 Free use of the m it in the spring it should be worked 

 Harrow and over with the harrow or pulverizer as 



Pulverizer. deeply as the ground will allow and 



rolled with a heavy roller, which should be followed at once 

 with a light harrow, which will loosen the surface soil and 

 form a light mulch to help conserve the moisture. This 

 operation should be repeated each week until it is time to 

 sow the seed, which is in this latitude when the apple trees 

 begin to bloom. 



The seed should be sown with a hand seed drill about 

 three-quarters of an inch deep and in rows about fifteen inches 

 apart, using about six pounds of seed per acre. 



In about five days after the seed is sown the field should 

 be gone over with the weeder to destroy any weeds that have 

 started to germinate near the surface, and again in three or 

 four days or before the onions come up. Always run the 

 weeder across the rows. 



After the onions are up so that you can see the rows 

 cultivate them carefully with the wheel hoe, using the sharp 

 blades that are made for that purpose and going not more 

 than one-half inch deep. 



As soon as any more weeds appear to be germinating 

 go over the rows again with the weeder. The weeder may 

 appear to be doing some damage, but if handled carefully 

 there is no danger, as we have sown an extra pound of seed to 

 allow for some being pulled out. 



