VEGETABLES ONTCW. 245 



necessity, as it is well known that the Onion is one of 

 the very few crops that do not seem benefited by 

 alternating ; but it is claimed that it gives almost entire 

 freedom from weeds, as after a crop of Millet, which has 

 been cut before its seed is ripe, few troublesome weeds 

 will come np the next year. 



MA^UKES. 



I have always held the opinion that when well-rotted 

 stable manure, whether from horses or cows, can be pro- 

 cured at a cost not exceeding $3 per ton, delivered on 

 the ground, it is cheaper and better than any kind of 

 concentrated fertilizer. It should be plowed in at the 

 rate of thirty tons to the acre. The concentrated ferti- 

 lizers in the market are now so numerous that it would 

 be invidious to specify particular brands. We ourselves, 

 except in. using occasionally the " blood and bone ferti- 

 lizer," which we have proved to be excellent, use only 

 pure ground bone and Peruvian guano, which, for Onions, 

 we prefer to mix in equal parts, sowing it on the land, 

 after plowing, at the rate of at least one ton per acre of 

 the mixture (when no stable manure has been used), 

 after sowing to be harrowed in, as described in " Prepar- 

 ing the Ground." 



One of the most valuable manures for the Onion crop 

 are the droppings from the chicke*n or pigeon-house, 

 which, when mixed with twice their weight of lime, coal 

 or wood ashes, so as to disintegrate and pulverize, may 

 be sown on the land after plowing, to be harrowed in 

 at the rate of three or four tons per acre of the mixture. 

 Night soil, when mixed with dry muck, coal ashes, char- 

 coal dust, lime, or lime rubbish, as absorbents, and spread 

 on after plowing, at the rate of six or eight tons per 

 acre, and harrowed deeply in, the mixture will never fail 

 to produce a heavy crop of Onions in any suitable soil. 



There are many other manures that will answer tho 



