208 THE VEGETABLE CULTIVATOR. 



have attained their full growth, of which their stalks 

 and leaves give notice by shrinking, and assuming a 

 decayed state. They should then be pulled up in 

 dry days, and spread on a clear, firm piece of ground 

 in the sun to dry and harden, and turned occasion- 

 ally. They are then to be cleared from rubbish, 

 and housed for future use. 



In the winter ana spring, such of the above-men- 

 tioned keeping onions as unavoidably sprout in the 

 house, may be picked out and planted in beds to 

 grow up, to draw for scallions, when time and op- 

 portunity admit. The sooner onions are platted 

 with dry straw into ropes for hanging up, the 

 longer and better they will keep. 



The second season for sowing onions is what 

 may be called the Michaelmas, or winter crop; 

 these should be sown (to draw for salads and other 

 uses) in the second week in August ; but if intended 

 for planting out in Spring, not before the end of 

 that month, or the first week in September. The 

 seed should be sown in beds four feet wide, mode- 

 rately thick and even ; and when the plants come 

 up, they must be kept remarkably clean from weeds 

 by hand-weeding. They can be thinned gradually 

 to the proper distance, by drawing them young for 

 use. This is to be understood of the first sow- 

 ing. The second sowing, as before observed, is for 

 planting out early in spring, to produce full-sized 

 bulbs ; for which purpose, a rich spot of ground 

 should be selected, and the plants set in rows about 

 nine inches wide, and six or eight inches from plant 

 to plant. Nothing more will be required (except the 

 hoe at times, to keep them clear of weeds'), until 



