CHAP. I. CULINARY VEGETABLES. 117 



when they are commencing to turn yellow at the apex, and 

 killed by immersion for a few seconds in boilin- water or bv 

 exposure to the sun. I prefer the latter method, and dry them 

 subsequently in the shade, or with occasional exposure to the 

 sun, upon tin plates."* 



The plant is raised readily from cuttings, which are said to 

 come into bearing in the third year. 



Atnple directions for the culture of the Vanille plant and 

 the preparation of the pods, as practised at Bourbon, will be 

 found in vol. ix. of the ' Journal of the Agri-Horticultural 

 Society.' 



LILIACE^I. 



Allium Cepa. 



ONION. 



Peeydj. 



There are many varieties of Onion grown in Europe, some 

 of which, such as the Spanish, are of great size. But for this 

 country the most serviceable will probably be found to be the 

 Strasbourg and the Deptford. There are also two large and 

 good acclimated kinds of Onion, known in the neighbourhood of 

 Calcutta as the Patna and Bombay. 



The seed of the Onion keeps good but a short time generally, 

 it is said, not longer than a year ; and as most of the seed that 

 comes to this country is more than a year old, it is not alto- 

 gether surprising that, when sown, it is so often found to fail of 

 germinating. 



The surest way, therefore, of securing good seed is at the 

 commencement of the Cold season to purchase several of the 

 finest Onions procurable from the bazar, and plant them out in 

 the garden, about a foot apart. These will grow up, and by the 

 commencement of the Hot season produce an abundant supply 

 of seed, which should be stored away in well-corked bottles for 

 sowing the next Cold season. 



The time for sowing seed is about the middle of October. 

 The sowing may be made broadcast or in drills ten inches 

 apart. The soil should be light, and enriched with old manure, 

 * ' Journal of the Agri-Hort. Soc.,' vol. xiii., p. liii. 



