ONION. 209 



they are drawn for use. Plants obtained in this 

 manner, from seed sown in August, and put out in 

 March, grow to a large size, and come into use some 

 weeks before the general crop in autumn. To 

 guard against want, or a very severe season, such 

 as 1838, a small bed of the Welsh onion may be 

 sown about the middle of August: this you will 

 be sure of. 



To raise onions for pickling, seed of the " true " 

 Reading kind should be sown thick in a bed, ac- 

 cording to the quantity wanted, at the same time 

 that the general crop is sown in March. No further 

 culture will be required, except hand-weeding, as 

 their thickness in the bed will prevent their grow- 

 ing large, and will cause them to come to maturity 

 sooner, for market, where they will find a ready 

 sale, not only for their earliness, but the evenness 

 of their growth, and bright colour. Such is the sort 

 the author recommends, in preference to those 

 called silver onions, the excellence of which con- 

 sists only in name, and not in taste or flavour. 



Culture of the Potato Onion. The qualities of 

 this valuable variety have been before described ; it 

 only remains to give an account of its culture, the 

 first hints of which the author received in Devon- 

 shire, and he has since acted upon them with suc- 

 cess. Prepare thoroughly a rich piece of ground, 

 in which, after drawing shallow drills about a foot- 

 apart, plant the bulbs six inches distant in the row, 

 and cover them lightly over with earth ; keep them 

 clear from weeds, and earthed up as they continue 

 to grow, something like potatoes. Towards the end 

 of summer they will be found nearly fully grown ; 

 p 



