170 Origin and miltivation of the Pearl Onion. 



Art. TV. Origin and C^iltivation of the Pearl Onion, 

 Translated from the Allgemeine Gartenzeiiung of Octo- 

 ber. By K., 1841. 



Many things in horticulture are in truth old and have 

 been raised and cultivated for many, many years, which, 

 nevertheless, are new to many, and their origin entirely 

 unknown ; such in my apprehension is that of the Pearl 

 onion. 



This article is an artificial variety of the leek, .4'llium 

 Porrum var. sectivum Hort. and is thus procured. The 

 common leek, every one knows, is a biennial plant, which 

 sown in the spring of one year, produces in the next its 

 seed stalk and then perishes. Hy cutting off this seed 

 stem before it has perfected itself, you compel the plant to 

 throw out from the collet or neck of the bulb, new offsets 

 resembling the parent, but more delicate and smaller. These 

 taken off" and replanted in the ensuing season, produce 

 the so called Pearl onions, but do not run back into the 

 original leek type. They are highly prized as seasoning 

 for ragouts, pickles, &c. 



Cultivation. — The Pearl onion requires a rich and mellow 

 soil, with a rather low than elevated situation. The land 

 having been prepaied for their reception, is divided into 

 beds which are laid oft' into rows four inches apart, in 

 which the young bulbs are planted about the end of Sep- 

 tember, at a depth of three quarters of an inch. To protect 

 them from the cold, I usually cover my beds at the begin- 

 ning of winter with sawdust or short litter. Generally the 

 bulbs continue growing to the end of the autumn, and are 

 not injured even by the frosts destroying the points of the 

 leaves. The covering is removed in the month of March, 

 the beds kept clean, and when the leaves, having attained 

 a length of Irom six to nine inches, assume a yellow tint, 

 the bulbs are then fit to be taken up. This must be done 

 with peculiar caution, if you do not wish to leave a great 

 part of the produce in the earth, since very numerous bul- 

 bules are formed round every bulb of from one half to one 

 inch in diameter; and these, unless great care is exercised, 

 will become separated and remain in the ground, where 

 they will continue to grow. 



After being taken up, free them from the soil by washing, 



