464 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Oct. 



SOWING- ONIONS IN THE FALL. 



Many farmers and gardeners — especially those 

 who wish to have their onions ready for the mar- 

 ket towards the close of spring, or commence- 

 ment of summer — sow the seed in autumn. From 

 the last of August to the first half of September 

 is probably the most favorable season for this 

 business, although a week or two earlier or later 

 will not essentially affect the crop. The plan is 

 thought judicious by many on several accounts. 



In the first place, it enables the grower to oc- 

 cupy the soil for the production of a valuable and 

 marketable product, from which a previous crop 

 has been taken, and which, but for this system of 

 alternation, would remain idle for a considerable 

 portion of the year. Onions may be sowed after 

 a crop of early peas, beans, corn or turnips. In 

 the second place, it will enable him to obtain an 

 early crop, which will be ready for market several 

 •weeks before his neighbors', who follow the old 

 practice of sowing in the spring. There are at 

 present but few vegetables which yield a larger 

 and more certain profit than the onion. It al- 

 most always commands a fair price and a ready 

 market, and for family use, especially during win- 

 ter, is one of the m.ost wholesome, as well as pal- 

 atable vegetables with which our tables are sup- 

 plied. 



By clearing the surface of the soil, stirring it 

 to the depth of three inches, by means of an iron- 

 tooth rake or other implement, and manuring 

 •with soot, charcoal, gypsum, house ashes and lime 

 in equal proportions, a good crop may usually be 

 secured. The compost should be applied previ- 

 ous to sowing the seed, say one bushel to the 

 square rod, and as soon as the plants make their 

 appearance, the same material should be sown 

 upon them. In the spring, as soon as the soil is 

 sufficiently dry, the beds should be top-dressed 

 •with the same, or with soot and plaster, or if soot 

 cannot be procured, charcoal finely pulverized by 

 passing a heavy roller over it on a firm floor, will 

 be found an excellent substitute. Irrigating with 

 stale urine, or with soap-suds fresh from the laun- 

 dry, has an excellent efiect upon the crop. 



In Scotland, gardens are shown where the 

 onion has been cultivated with success for a series 

 of upwards of seventy consecutive years, without 

 the ground being plowed or spaded, and with no 

 other stimulant being applied than coal dust, 

 ashes and soot. 



A gentleman informs us that he has seen onions 

 four inches high by the last of September, and 

 more vigorous, apparently, than those of the same 

 age in the spring. 



The cold of winter has no other effect upon the 

 crop than merely to arrest the growth, and as 

 soon as the frost is out of the ground in the 

 spring, and before the temperature of the atmo- 



sphere is sufficiently genial to stimulate the cir- 

 culation of sap in less hardy vegetables, the on- 

 ions commence growing, and continue to increase 

 in size till mature, without injury from disease 

 or debility of any kind. 



THE irrOEPENDBNT FARMER. 



Let sailors sing of the windy deep, 



Let soldiers praise their armor, 

 But in my heart this toast I'll keep, 



The Independent Farmer. 

 ■When first the rose, in robe of greea 



Unfolds its crimson lining, 

 And 'round his cottage porch is Been 



The honeysuckle twining ; 

 ■When banks of bloom their sweetness yield 



To bees that gather honey. 

 He drives his team across the field, 



Where skies Ere soft and sunny. 



The blackbird clucks behind the plow. 



The quail pipes loud and clearly, 

 Ton orchard hides behind its bough 



The home he loves so dearly ; 

 The grey old barn whose d^or3 unfold 



His ample store in measure. 

 More rich than heaps of hoarded gold, 



A precious, blessed treasure ; 

 But yonder in the porch there stands 



His wife, the lovely charmer, 

 The sweetest rose on all liis lands— 



The Independent Farmer. 



To him the Spring comes dancingly, 



To him the Summer blushes. 

 The Autumn smiles with mellow ray. 



lie sleeps, old Winter hushes. 

 He cares not how the world may move, 



No doubts nor fears confound him ; 

 His little flocks are linked in love, 



And household angels round him ; 

 He trusts in God and loves his wife, 



Nor griefs nor ills may harm her ; 

 He's Nature's nobleman in life — 



The Independent Farmer. — Farmer's Mag. 



SALT FOR SWINE. 



While all other domestic animals are regularly 

 supplied with salt, the hog is generally neglected. 

 He requires, however, to be as constantly supplied 

 as the ox, the horse or the sheep, and suffers as 

 much from its privation as cither of the above- 

 mentioned animals do. His food is almost in- 

 variably fed to him in a fresh and unseasoned 

 state, and to this fact we may doubtless attribute 

 many of the violent and fatal diseases to which 

 he is subject, and which stagger all remedies, 

 however promptly or skillfully administered. If 

 the food be not regularly seasoned, there should 

 be a trough or box in every sty, in which salt 

 may be deposited regularly for the use of the an- 

 imals. Seasoning the food judiciously, however, 

 would bo much the best way. 



On slaughtering swine in the fall, many per- 

 sons complain that they find worms in the kid- 

 neys and some other parts of the animal. May 

 this not be occasioned by a want of salt ? 



