206 THE VEGETABLE CULTIVATOR. 



gardeners at Hexham, in Northumberland, have 

 been known to sow their onions on the same piece 

 of ground for twenty years in succession ; but they 

 annually manure the soil. After digging and level- 

 ling the ground, the manure, in a very rotten state, 

 is spread upon it ; the onion seed is sown upon the 

 manure, and covered with earth from the alleys; 

 and their crops are abundant, and excellent in 

 quality. This was stated in a paper communicated 

 to the Horticultural Society some few years ago. 

 Something of this culture was communicated to the 

 author, when at Wrexham, fifty years ago, where 

 he observed the crops to be remarkably fine. 



For the general crop throughout the autumn and 

 winter, seed of the Deptford variety should be 

 chosen, and as much of the best ground as can be 

 spared : that of a light rich sandy nature, pre- 

 viously well manured in the early part of winter, 

 and laid up in ridges, will be much the best 



Take the first opportunity of fine weather, in the 

 beginning of March, either in digging the ground or 

 laying down the ridges, which, being well broken and 

 leyelled, sow the seed evenly, and not too thick, either 

 in beds four feet wide, with one foot alleys, or broad 

 cast. The latter method is more generally adopted 

 in market-gardens, where many acres are sown at 

 one time; the former is more convenient in gar- 

 dens where acres are not sown. The seed having 

 been sown, it will 4epend on the state of the 

 ground, whether it will be eligible to tread it in or 

 not; though a gentle treading, in most cases, is 

 serviceable, as, from observations made by several 

 persons, as well as by the author, the more the 



