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GARDENING FOR BEGINNERS 



some plants carefully so as to preserve the roots, and to dibble them out into rows 12 

 inches apart, the plants being 6 inches from each other in the rows. If the planting be 

 carefully done so that the roots go down well into the holes and be firmly fixed, the bases 

 of the plants just being covered, and the ground has been well prepared, much finer bulbs 

 usually result than in the rows of the plants left where sown. As a rule the thinning of the 

 autumn-sown plants is not done until March or thereabouts. 



General Culture after thinning consists of a free use of the hoe between the rows 

 through the growing season, and an occasional dressing of soot or of some artificial 

 manure or guano in showery weather, having it well hoed in. That washes down and 

 greatly assists the formation of fine bulbs. Still it is best to give these dressings after 

 bulbs have begun to form. It is also good practice to go over the plants when strong and 

 well advanced, and to gently press the stems just above where bulbs are being formed, to 

 cause the tops or leaves to rest on the ground and all one way. That practice not only 

 gives the bed a neat appearance, but it assists the plants to form bulbs, which is the 

 primary object in Onion culture. But very stiff-necked plants should be dealt with care- 

 fully lest they break off. The bulbs from a spring sowing are usually ripe to pull ready 

 for storing for the winter about the end of August or early in September. They should 

 remain on the ground to dry thoroughly for a couple of days, if it does not rain. If rain 

 prevails then the crop should be pulled and put under cover before cleaning off decayed 

 stems and final storing in a cool shed or store on shelves for the winter. Where the 

 thinning has been properly done, the plants being about 4 inches apart, usually a very 

 firm, even sample of bulb is produced. Autumn sown bulbs are usually thinned down to 

 9 inches apart. These are ripe for pulling towards the end of July or thereabouts. 



This shows the average size of Onion bulbs 

 raised by sowing seed in drills 12 inches apart 

 in the open and in the spring. These are 

 thinned out to 4 inches apart. 



Very fine Onion bulbs raised from seed 

 sown under glass in January and put out in 

 rows in April, 18 inches apart and 12 inches 

 apart in the rows. 



Winter-Sowing, -To raise bulbs of great size and weight, the practice is to sow seed 

 in shallow pans or boxes filled with light soil about the third week in December. The 

 seed is sown moderately thick, then the pan or box is stood in a frame or greenhouse 

 where there is a little warmth, and kept near the light ; growth follows in a couple of 

 weeks. When the plants are 3 inches in height they must be lifted from the seed-boxes 

 and be dibbled in, 2 inches apart each way, into other shallow boxes filled as before with 

 light soil, well watered ; then stood on shelves or near the glass. There they must 

 remain until the plants have become 6 inches in height. Then put the boxes into 

 a cold frame, where the plants get plenty of light and air. Every care must 

 be taken to keep the plants erect, which they will be when well exposed to the 

 light. Planting outdoors is done from the middle to the end of April, the ground for 

 these plants having been previously trenched and manured as advised for the spring sown 

 crop. The rows, marked out with a line, should be 16 inches apart, very shallow drills 

 being first drawn. Into these put the plants at 12 inches apart, lifting them from the 

 boxes with a garden trowel, so as to retain to each a nice ball of soil and roots. Only 

 these balls but no portion of the stems should be buried in the soil, well fixing them, and, if 

 needful, watering in. Because thus early raised, and having so much space between them, 

 the plants make very strong growth, and later in the summer produce exceptionally large 

 bulbs. Good growers commonly obtain bulbs weighing from 2 Ibs. to 3 \ Ibs. , perfect 

 samples, hard and well ripened. Usually these bulbs are ready to pull from the middle 

 of July to the end of August, as may be wanted for exhibition or storing. Such bulbs are 

 excellent when baked or stewed, being mild and succulent. 



