ONIONS 39 



heavy land, such as the soil from old marrow or 

 cucumber beds, the siftings of the potting bench, or 

 any fine charred refuse. I have also seen sand used to 

 advantage in wet, heavy land, but it should be borne in 

 mind that the soil under should be well manured, the 

 onion needing much food. Early thinning should take 

 place, doing the work in showery weather if possible ; 

 but the seed is often sown much too thickly, as in these 

 days there is less need to sow thickly, seeing that seed 

 from a good house is always reliable. The trials it 

 undergoes before being sent out are much more severe 

 than formerly. I have referred to feeding, and few 

 crops benefit more by surface dressing than does the 

 Onion. Nitrates are valuable, as also are fish manure, 

 guano, soot, salt, and liquid manure whenever the 

 latter is obtainable. One often sees miserable crops 

 from want of food, late sowing, and neglect. As soon 

 as the seedlings appear through the soil, the hard crust 

 should be broken by gently hoeing between the drills. 

 This will check weed-growth, and as soon as the seed- 

 lings are large enough to handle, thinning should take 

 place. It may not be desirable to thin to the required 

 distance at the first, merely thinning out where the plants 

 are very thick, and making a second thinning when it 

 is seen which plants take the lead. The plants at this 

 second thinning will be useful for salads. In using the 

 hoe, care should be taken that the permanent plants are 

 not loosened. On the other hand, severe thinning for 

 what are termed medium-sized bulbs is not advised, and 

 at the final thinning a few rows may be left for salad, 

 or, what is better, another sowing may be made for this 

 purpose in May. These also are valuable for pickling. 



Autumn Onions. — These are sown from the middle of 

 July till the middle of August. Much depends upon 

 the variety. I prefer to sow the White Leviathan and 

 Italian at the end of July. These do not keep sowell 



