THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 215 



After this is done, go over the ground and fill in 

 the low places with a hand rake. 



" The ground will now be ready for sowing the 

 seed. To make the first row to sow the seed in I 

 usually take a one-quarter-inch rope, with a stake 

 attached at each end, and make a line. Then take 

 a rake handle and go down the line, making a small 

 row about three-quarters of an inch deep. There 

 is a reversible attachment or marker on the drill 

 to make the rows after the drill is started. Regu- 

 late the drill to sow about 60 pounds of seed to the 

 acre, and cover lightly. If the soil is heavy you 

 should use one ton of fertilizer to the acre and 70 

 pounds of seed. Do not use any manure, on ac- 

 count of foul seed ; the clover, after being plowed 

 under, and the fertilizer will be all that is needed. 



"Onion sets are sown in rows 12 inches apart, 

 and cultivated with a two-wheel cultivator, using 

 two blades and a one-wheel cultivator with the 

 onion harvester attached. Do not go deep in the 

 soil when cultivating. I usually cultivate once a 

 week. Be very careful not to allow crabgrass to 

 get into the field of onion sets ; if this grass gets 

 the best of a field of sets one might as well plow 

 it under, as it will cost more to get the grass out 

 than you would derive from the sale of the sets. 



" When you gather the sets, usually about >the 

 middle of July, according to the size, you should 

 run the onion harvester under them, so as to raise 

 them out of the ground. Go deep enough so as not 

 to cut the roots. If the tops are long they should 

 be twisted or cut off. This is done so it will not 

 require so many crates to store them in, and it will 

 save time and a lot of hard labor when cleaning 

 them. Shake the dirt off well and put the onions 

 in the crates to dry, about one bushel to a crate. 



