110 PLAIN AND PLEASANT TALK 



season from the seed as well as from the set — we try it 

 almost every year and never fail^ although told a hundred 

 times: "You could do that in the old States, but it won't 

 do out here." It had to do, and did do, and always will do, 

 where there is no lazy men about ; but nothing ever does 

 well in a slack and lazy man's garden ; plants have an invet- 

 erate prejudice against such, and won't grow; but he is a 

 darling favorite among weeds. 



The white or silver skin, and the yellow Portugal have 

 been favorite kinds with us to raise from seed. They are 

 tender, mild flavored, but do not keep as well as the Med. 

 Strong onions always keep better than mild ones. 



If you prefer top-onion sets, or sets of any other kind, 

 plant them out at the same distances, viz. eight inches be- 

 tween the row and five or six between the sets. Inexpe- 

 rienced gardeners are afraid that little sets no bigger than 

 a pea, will not do well. It is a mistake — they will make 

 large onions ; put them all in, if they are sound. Plant the 

 sets so that the top shall just appear above the surface. 



If you plant out old onions for seed^ let them be at least 

 a foot apart and stake them when they begin to blossom. 

 If you plant the top-onion for sets you need not stake them, 

 for they cannot shed out their seed if they fall over. It is 

 not generally knoAvn that the same onions may be kept for 

 seed for many years. 



Transplanting. — All fruit-trees, most kinds of shade 

 trees, shrubs, Aarf?y roses, honeysuckles, pinks, lilacs, peonies, 

 etc., may be raised, divided, and transplanted in April un- 

 less your soil is very wet. All hardy plants may be safely 

 transplanted just as soon as the ground is dry enough to 

 crumble freely — and not till then. In planting out shrubs, 

 remember that they will grow ; if you put them near to- 

 gether, for the sake of present effect, in a year or two they 

 will be crowded. We set at ample distances and fill up the 

 spaces with lilies, peonies, phlox, gladiolus, and herbaceous 

 plants which are easily removed. 



