ONION CULTURE. 129 



before the bottoms begin to form, or before the middle 

 of July, as they often " blast" if worked when forming 

 bulbs, many of them failing to make bulbs, and becom- 

 ing " scullions.''* The season for hoeing and weeding 

 covers about two months. After July 20th the crop 

 should be safely under way. One man can tend two 

 acres, and have time to spare, but in the weeding time 

 he will need a helper, as the whole field, be it large or 

 small, must be cleaned within a few days, as, when 

 weeding is necessary, it is always pressing. Hand hoe- 

 ing and hand weeding is more efficient than work done 

 with scuffle hoes, which do not do the work thoroughly. 

 Flat hoeing is all that is necessary, no effort being made 

 either to draw the dirt up to the onions, or away. Purs- 

 lane is the most troublesome weed, usually appearing in 

 abundance at the last weeding. It must be carried off 

 in baskets or sacks-. The time occupied in cultivating a 

 crop of onions covers from two to three months. 



In the latitude of Philadelphia harvesting is com- 

 menced about August 1st, or whenever two-thirds of the 

 tops fall and begin to turn yellow ; pull them by hand, 

 when seasoned so that the juice cannot be squeezed from 

 the neck, rake in heaps, and pull or cut the tops off. 

 Place in heaps of twenty-five to thirty bushels each, on 

 the field ; cover with straw or tarpaulin, so as to keep 

 dry. An itemized estimate of the cost of growing an 

 acre of onions may be drawn as follows : 



Use of land for twelve months $20.00 



Fertilizers applied 30.00 



Fall plowing under 2.00 



Spring preparation of ground 6.00 



Cost of seed, six pounds @ $2 12.00 



Drilling in 2.00 



Top-dressing 1 barrel salt 1.00 



Cost of cultivation until pulled 50.00 



Topping 420 bushels onions 12.00 



Hauling the same four miles 12.00 



9 



Total cost $147.00 



Cost per bushel $ .35 



