ONIONS. 227 



from the Farmer^s Assistant^ which may prove useful to 

 tho?'e who wish to cultivate them on aa extensive s»ale. 



The ground should be perfectly clear of stones ; and 

 if it contain the seed of weeds, these should be first era- 

 dicated by a hoed crop. The ploughin^s, tor preparing 

 the land, in the first instance, need not be deeper than 3 

 or 4 inches. If the ground be suitably mellow, any fur- 

 ther ploughing*, for succeeding crops, will be unneces- 

 sary ; all that will be found requisite, will be, to re-mel-' 

 low the ground as deeply aod effectually, as it can be 

 done bj-^ a heavy iron-toothed harrow, having the teeth 

 well pointed, and turning forward, so as to run about 2 

 inches deep. But, where the ground is not of the mellow 

 kind, it should be prepared as at first. Whatever manure 

 is applied, should be very finely rotted, clear of the seeds 

 of weeds, and well mixed with the soil, by. the harrow. 

 x\t\er the surface is finely pulverized, it should be roll- 

 ed, and then it is fit for the reception of the seed. The 

 sowing should be as early as the ground can be complete- 

 ly prepared. The seeds should be drilled in, in rows 

 about 10 or 12 inches apart, by a small hand-drill 

 plough. This machine may be made to drill in 2 rows 

 at once. The seeds should be drilled in pretty thickly, 

 ibr fear they may not all vegetate. If the plants are 

 too thick, they must be thinned by hand, when the first 

 weeding commences. This is the most laborious opera- 

 tion in the whole process of raising this root, as well as 

 some others ; but here we propose another labor-saving 

 implement, in the shape of a small hand-weeding plough. 

 (See Hand-Plough.) Every part of the interval be- 

 tween the rows should be cut with this plough ; after 

 which it would probably be found requisite to use a 

 small narrow iron-toothed rake, for the purpose of com- 

 pletely separating the roots of the weeds from the soil. 

 After this, the cleansing of the rows of the weeds, which 

 the plough could not touch, must be performed by hand. 

 When the weeds begin to rise again, this operation must 

 be repeated, and again, if it be necessary, as no weeds 

 should be suffered to grow among the crop. 



By the use of the drill, and weeding-plough, it is be- 

 lieved that one ball of the labor usually bestowed would 

 be saved. 



