Cultural Directions. — 267 



Wethersfield, 



I cannot lay too much stress on the great importance of 

 timely action in every stage of the proceeding. A few days' 

 neglect in cultivating or weeding may increase the amount of 

 labor required to such an extent as to double the cost of crop, at 

 the same time greatly reducing the yield. 



Harvesting. — When the bulbs have reached their full size 

 and maturity, as indicated by the dying down of the tops, the 

 crop is ready to be harvested. 

 Pull the onions by hand, or rake 

 them out by means of a dull 

 steel rake; taking great care to 

 avoid cutting into them ; then 

 leave in windrows on the ground 

 to cure. Afterwards twist or cut 

 off the remnants of tops and 

 roots, if there be such, and try 

 to sell the crop immediately from 

 the field. If this cannot be done, \ [ 

 store in a rather thin layer on a ^ 

 dry floor or loft, until they can ^-- 

 he disposed of I would not 

 advise the novice to attempt 



wintering even a part of the crop, as this is a task which involves 

 risk even for the more experienced. 



Onions in the Kitchen Garden. — For home use we want 

 variety at all times, consequently we should plant a few sets to 

 give us an early supply of bunch onions. This we do in the way 

 already described for market growing, setting them in a row or 

 two among our regular patch of closely-planted vegetables. We 

 also desire onions for late use, and so we must also sow seed of 



various varieties, a row or so of 

 each. Here the general rules 

 given for culture in the farm 

 garden should be closely fol- 

 lowed. The thinning can be 

 done gradually, and the young 

 plants thus pulled out of the 

 rows will supply the kitchen 

 with onion material and onion 

 flavor during the larger part of 

 summer, and until the bulbs mature. For convenience and uni- 

 formity's sake we allow the same space between rows as adopted 

 for all the other small stuff, 1 5 inches being the usual and most 

 convenient distance between the teeth of the hand marker designed 

 for use in the home garden. Seed is usually sown by hand, but 

 if a garden drill is handy, and seed is to be sown in larger 

 quantities than single small packages, by all means use the drill. 



Yellow Dutch. 



