THE ONIOX. 185 



quently found in river bottoms and drained ponds. On 

 heavy land, the bulbs are apt to remain small, and ac- 

 quire a greater pungency of taste. If the soil is loamy, 

 sand should be the predominating constituent. Land 

 recently cleared, and therefore free from grass and weed- 

 seed, provided it is made perfectly mellow, is always to 

 be preferred to old land, particularly unless the latter 

 has been kept clean of weeds and grass, in order that 

 none of their seeds may have been self-sown for several suc- 

 cessive years. Although the onion is a very shallow-rooted 

 plant, it delights in a well-drained, deeply-stirred, and 

 finely-pulverized soil. No plant requires a more care- 

 ful preparation of the land, and a proper piece, once se- 

 lected for this crop (it being an anomaly in regard to 

 rotation), it should always remain appropriated to the 

 same purpose; for, with proper and efficient manure and 

 management, the crop may be increased in quantity each 

 successive year. The land should be allowed to mature 

 no second crop. As soon as the onions are removed, it 

 should be sown down to cow peas. If recently cleared 

 land is selected, it should also be sown with peas in July 

 or August. They will not only keep down the weeds, 

 and tend to mellow the soil by the decaying mass of vege- 

 table matter, but maintain and increase the fertility of 

 the soil. 



The first of December is early enough to plow under 

 the dead pea vines, which should be deeply buried. 



The analysis shows that the onion requires a rich 

 nitrogenous manure, and that it also contains much pot- 

 ash and phosphoric acid. The manure of the hog is gen- 

 erally considered the best for this crop. If stable manure 

 is used, it should not be coarse enough to prevent its be- 

 ing plowed under shallow. There is no objection to fine, 

 green stable manure, provided it contains no seeds of 

 weeds. If the animals have been fed on hay, the manure 

 must be thoroughly fermented to destroy the vitality of 



