PLANTING LIST 351 



begin to form immediately after the fall of the handsome flowers, 

 and are ready to be cut in a couple of days. Test them for tough- 

 ness by cutting across with a dull knife. The plant is very tender ; 

 do not sow before the end of May. 



Onion : A very hardy vegetable, easily grown on rich moist land. 

 Kinds are white, yellow, and red, flat and round ; they are grown 

 from seeds, or from sets, which are small onions started in a crowded 

 seed bed the previous year, and which when set out begin to grow 

 and produce an early crop. Set them three by six inches or more. 

 For very finest onions, start the seed under glass in early April, 

 keep growing fast, and protect with cheesecloth from the maggot ; 

 thin to three inches apart. Set them in deep moist ground in late 

 May, and occasionally feed with nitrate of soda. Otherwise sow the 

 seed out of doors in April, thin to nine by three inches, or more space 

 if possible, and cultivate carefully. 



The worst pest is the maggot ; burn all weakly plants. Watch 

 for cutworms. 



Three crops may be had by growing in succession, first the 

 sets, then the seed under glass, then the seed outdoors. Pick the 

 plants as wanted ; in fall break down the tops as frosts approach, 

 and in a few days pull all the plants. Cut the tops and roots, and 

 store in boxes in a cool dry place. 



Ostrich-feather, see Cockscomb. 



Oyster Plant, see Salsify. 



Paeony, see Peony. 



Pansy, or Heartsease : A fine hardy flower of great popularity, 

 which every one would grow if it did not require a part of two seasons, 

 and a little more care than usual. But it is worth the trouble. 

 Varieties are many. Get the best seed. 



Seed sowed in April will sometimes yield fall flowers, but this 

 is uncertain. It is best to sow the seed some time during the 

 summer, not later than August, and to thin the plants to four 

 inches or more apart. Carry them over winter in a cold-frame or 

 under a mulch, and set them out when the ground is fit. They will 



