■Description of a Mode of cultivating Onions. 323 



for many years, as he thought the earthing up was worse than 

 labour thrown away ; that, a year or two before, he had obtained 

 19 tons per acre by the same management. This statement 

 put me upon considering the principles upon which such a 

 result was founded ; and it appeared to me that, by drawing up 

 the earth over the potato, in sloping ridges, it was deprived of 

 its due supply of moisture by the rains ; for, when they fell, 

 the water was cast into the ditches. Further, in regard to the 

 idea that, by thus earthing up, the number of tubers is in- 

 creased : the effect is quite the reverse ; for experience proves 

 that a potato placed an inch only under the surface of the 

 earth will produce a greater number of tubers than one planted 

 at the depth of a foot. From reasoning thus, I determined to 

 adopt the practice : however, such is the force of prejudice, 

 that I have been able to make but few proselytes. A year or 

 two since, I prevailed on a clergyman to try the practice on a 

 strip of half an acre, running through a large field, treated in 

 the common manner ; and he told me that, on taking up the 

 crop, he did not find much difference in the gross quantity; 

 but that those which had not been earthed up were, more 

 generally, of a good size ; not so many large and small as the 

 other part of the field. I have no doubt, if potatoes are 

 planted shallow, and placed wide enough apart to admit of 

 the stems being laid down after the young potatoes are formed, 

 and to have the earth between them thrown over 5 in. or 6 in. 

 thick, so as to form a flat surface, that it would increase the 

 crop. But this is a very different operation from that I object to. 



I am, Sir, yours, &c. 

 Radipole, Feb. 7. 1833. Joseph Hayward. 



Art. XVII. A Description of a Mode of cultivating Onions. 

 By Mr. William Whiddon. 



Sir, 

 Your correspondent, John Mitchell, jun., treats, in p. 75., 

 on the culture of the onion. I write not to dissuade him 

 from following the plans which his own observation has 

 suggested to him, but to state my ovv'n experience on this 

 subject, as it differs widely from his„ In March, 1830, I 

 lived as gardener to J. B. Praed, Esq., of Tyringham, Bucks ; 

 and, having occasion to make an asparagus bed, I resolved 

 upon sowing onions, of the Deptford sort, in drills between 

 the rows. The ground was not prepared in the way usual 

 for asparagus, but turned over to the depth of one spade 

 only. The soil being of a tenacious and cohesive quality, I 



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