388 VEGETABLE GARDENING 



of their fineness and high percentage of nitrogen, possess 

 the greatest value. When gardeners keep large flocks of 

 chickens it will pay to collect the droppings at regular 

 intervals and to preserve them so that there will be a 

 minimum loss of nitrogen. All manures, however, are 

 prized for this crop. Composting the coarser manures is 

 regarded as essential to reduce them to the proper physi- 

 cal condition, to prevent excessive top growth at the sac- 

 rifice of bulb formation and to destroy weed seeds. Fresh 

 manures may be applied to other crops the year before 

 or spread in the fall before or after plowing. An excel- 

 lent plan is to plow first and then apply and disk in the 

 manure. Rotten or composted manure is used to the 

 best advantage in the spring after plowing, thoroughly 

 incorporating with the soil before sowing or planting 

 the onion crop. 



Hundreds of successful growers cultivating lands re- 

 mote from supplies of manure must resort to the use of 

 commercial fertilizers. The greatest differences prevail 

 in regard to formulas and amounts used to the acre. Voor- 

 hees ("Fertilizers," p. 280) recommends, for sets, "50 

 pounds to the acre of nitrogen in organic forms, as dried 

 blood, cottonseed meal or tankage ; 60 of phosphoric acid, 

 which may be partly in organic forms, as bone or tank- 

 age; and 100 of actual potash, derived from a muriate. 

 The application of a fertilizer containing nitrogen 5 per 

 cent, phosphoric acid 6 per cent and potash 10 per cent, 

 at the rate of 1,000 pounds an acre, and well worked 

 into the soil previous to planting, would furnish these 

 amounts." He further recommends applications of 

 nitrate of soda or sulphate of ammonia at intervals of 

 about three weeks. The fertilizers usually employed 

 range from 4 to 6 per cent of nitrogen, 5 to 8 per cent of 

 phosphoric acid and 8 to 10 per cent of potash. 



For use in southern states, Seattle (U. S. D. A 

 Farmers' Bulletin 354, p. 13) recommends: 



