THE ONION TRIBE 87 



tender flesh that will yield good results in cookery. I am 

 informed by many people that the average Spanish Onion, 

 so familiar to all, may be regarded as a good example of the 

 requirements of the kitchen specimens, for instance, scaling 

 three or four to the pound. If growers will aim at, and obtain, 

 a crop of Onions ranging around this standard size and quality, 

 there should result every satisfaction ; only the desire for 

 sensationalism would demand anything further. Indeed, the 

 production of such Onions is no small undertaking ! And we 

 will proceed to discuss ways and means of doing so. The first 

 great essential of the Onion is a well-worked, rich, very deep 

 soil in which to send its long roots ; and it is astonishing how 

 long these roots are, and how far down they penetrate. And, 

 moreover, the deeper the soil, the greater will certainly be the 

 depth of penetration. 



It will be noticed that Onions are partial to a firm soil ; that 

 is true ; but a firmness that destroys or prohibits liberty of 

 action of both roots and atmosphere and the rapid filtration 

 of water is disastrous, and should be guarded against by an 

 intelligent study and appreciation of the true definition of a 

 " firm " soil. One may put it as a direct opposite to a loose, 

 crumbling, dry medium a soil which retains little moisture, 

 and offers no substantial support to a vigorous, root-action ; 

 a soil composed principally of sand particles, or almost pure 

 chalk, or extremely dusty in dry weather. This is a soil un- 

 suited to Onion-growing, if left to itself ; but it can be used 

 beneficially by means of the consolidation of these loose elements. 

 And this, let it be noted, is not accomplished by merely treading 

 or pressing the surface of the soil into an evenly smooth condi- 

 tion ; the whole soil requires mechanical consolidation by the 

 application of manure and retentive materials, which is com- 

 pleted by the pressure upon the surface from above. Many 

 people make this mistake, and fail to secure compactness in 

 the lighter kind of soils, with the result that, should the top 

 inch of soil be disturbed by weeding or hoeing, it is found that 

 the Onion plants have a very poor loosely-lying under-soil to 

 root in, and are readily pulled from the ground ; whereas, in a 

 more favourable soil it is a difficult matter to remove bodily an 

 established Onion plant without breakage. Consolidate light 

 soils, then, through and through. That is a safe maxim in 

 Onion culture. Heavy soils, on the contrary, must receive less 

 drastic treatment, for they are already compact ; even some 

 of the medium soils need not be too forcibly compressed. I 



