THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 275 
the manure ; the fine part that remains on the bed will 
improve the quality of the onions. Keep the weeds down 
during the summer and thin if the bunches become too 
thick. 
Culture. Onions should be cultivated with a hand or 
wheel hoe after each rain. Weeds that come up in the 
row should be pulled before they are large enough to dis- 
turb the small roots. Onions loosened with weeds will 
not make a strong growth. Keep the topsoil covered 
with a fine dust mulch, but do not draw the earth over 
the bulbs. 
Cold frame. Sow seeds in a cold frame in March. 
Make the rows six inches apart and sow the seeds thick. 
Some of the plants may be eaten while they are young 
and others may be transplanted. Transplant onions after 
they are well hardened and trim both tops and roots. 
Harvesting. After the tops are dead, pull the onions 
and lay them in windrows, as indicated in Fig. 149, so 
that the sun can reach the roots. After the onions are 
dry they may be tied together by the tops and hung in a 
dry shed, or they may have the tops cut off and be spread 
out flat about four inches deep under cover. During the 
winter, store them in slatted boxes in a cool place. They 
are not injured by freezing, but they cannot endure con- 
tinued freezing and thawing. 
Diseases. If the land is infested with smut, sow the 
seeds in cold frames and transplant the seedlings after 
they have made considerable growth and are well hard- 
ened. Smut may be prevented by scattering in the drills 
