ALL 



by tlie liand. In the advanced growth of the crop, when 



the fiipcnibundant plants avc occafionally thinned out for 

 ufe, as vvanttd, they (lu)uld be drawn I'omcwhat regular, fj 

 as to leave a fuffieiency of the ilroiigcll pl:\nts remaining at 

 inndcrate dillanccs fur a full crop to attain their full growth 

 ill large bulbs. 



It is highly ncccfTary to continue to keep the different 

 crops very clear from hurtful weeds in their a<ivancing growth 

 during the months of May, June, and July, which being 

 their principal growing feafons, if they are not kept free 

 from weeds, and fufiiciently thinned to proper dillanccs in 

 due time, they draw one another up, weak and (lender, 

 which much retards their bulbing. About the middle or 

 I.itter end of June the continuing crops begin fwcUing a little 

 •It bottom in their bulbing order, but more fully in July ; 

 and in Augull the bulbs arrive to full growth, and are proper 

 tor taking wholly up. Towards the middle of Augull the 

 crops in general Ihould therefore be examined, and when the 

 necks (brink and fill, and the leaves wither, it may be con- 

 cluded tliat the bulbs are arrived at maturity, and liave done 

 growing. 



They (lioidd then be pulled up, cleaned, dried, andhoufed 

 for ufe ; this being bed done in dry weather on a piece of 

 the ground hoed, raked, and cleaned, in order to fpread 

 ihem on as they are pulled up, to dry and haiden. They 

 iliould lie in this way a week or a fortnight, being turned 

 1.VCV) day or two, when, if the weather proves dry, they 

 will be duly prepared for keeping ; the ilril opportunity 

 Ihould then be taken to houfe them. The bulbs mull be 

 fiift diverted of all adhering earth, loofe (kins, and the 

 grolTcll parts of the leaves and neck, rejcfting all infcAious 

 and bruiled ones, and then they may be carried into any dry 

 upper room, out of the damp, fpreading them on tlie floor 

 as thinly as convenient. Tlie clofer the room is kept the 

 better, but care mull be taken to turn them over once in 

 tliree weeks, and to clear out fuch as have any tendency 

 to infeftion. 



As in the culture of onions it frequently happens, that 

 through badnefs of feed many are difappointed of a crop, 

 by waiting in expeftation of the plants riling till it has been 

 too late to fow again ; in fuch cafes recourfe may be had 

 to tranfplantation from other gardens, as a neighbouring one, 

 where there are fuperfluous crops, or a bed or fuch pail of 

 one as is neceffary may be purchafed from a market gardener. 

 This bufmefs (hould be done in May or early in June, and 

 if poflible in nioiH weather ; having a fpot of well-dunged 

 ground prepared, take up the plants with good roots, and 

 plant them in rows fix inches diftant, and four inches 

 afunder in each row, inferting the roots but moderately 

 into the ground, for if planted too deep, they do not bulb 

 well ; giving them a good watering as loon as tranfplanted. 

 By repeating the waterings occafionally for a- week or fort- 

 night, the plants will generally grow freely, and form tole- 

 rably handfome bulbs. 



Onions for pickling are in great requcft in many places: 

 fuch as are proper for this purpofe (liould not be bigger than 

 common round buttons, therefore in order to procure them 

 in due quantity, fome feed (hould be Town late, in a fpot of 

 light poor land ; about the middle of April is probably the 

 bell time. It (hould be fovvn moderately thick, the plants 

 requh-ing little thinning, except where they rife in verj- thick 

 chillers. They bulb in June and July, and are generally 

 fit to take up in Augull. In the Spring many of the keep- 

 ing onions will unavoidably grow as they lie in the houfe ; 

 thefe may be planted out in rows, at fix inches diilance, and 

 will fervc to draw by way of tfcallious. 



ALL 



Thf yiulumn cr Michaelmas crop, is generally fown in 

 Augull, and the plants rife before Michaelmas, (land the Win- 

 ter, fome to be drawn occafionally for ufe in that feafon, but 

 principally intended for Spring ufe, to be drawn up young for 

 lallads, &c. and likewife where the Stralburgli or any other 

 variety of the common onion are fown, they, if permitted 

 to Hand, bulb to a tolerable lize in June, and fupply the 

 kitchen or market as headed onions, till thofc of the Spring 

 crop are bulbed. 



But as the common onion is liable to be cut off in fcvere 

 winters, it is always neceffary to fow at the fame time 

 fome beds of Wellh onions, which bid defiance to the 

 mod rigorous Winter frolls. Auguft is the bed feafon 

 for fowiiig thefe crops, for if fown fooncr they are not 

 only apt to get too forward jn growth before Winter, but 

 to run up for feed earlier in the Spring ; and therefore the 

 proper time to fow the main crop is the fird or fecond wxek 

 of that month, or in the third week for a late Handing one, 

 fi>wing them in beds four feet wide, with twelve IikIi aUeys 

 between ; fow and rake in the feed as diredled in the Spring 

 ci\)p, only let a much larger quantity be fown in tliis cafe. 

 The plants generally appear in a fortnight, and numerou* 

 weeds, to which early attention mull be had to clear thein 

 out by hand before they begin to fpread ; but the plants of 

 this crop are not now to be llilnncd. But in November and 

 December if they Hand veiy thick, fome of the larged may 

 be occafionally thinned out for various iifes. 



Saving Sciil. February is the proper time to plant onions 

 in this view, though this is often done in Oclober by tliofe 

 that fave great quantities for fale. For this purpofe, make 

 choice of a due (piantity of the larged and handfonicll 

 bulbs, rejefting all blemifhed ones, and fuch as have already 

 made any effort to grow, and having made cliaice of a fpot 

 of ground well expofed to the fun, which being dug, pro- 

 ceed to plant the onions ; drain a line, and with a iioe or 

 fpade open three drills, twelve inches afunder, and fix deep, 

 place the bulbs therein nine inches didant, and rake the 

 earth over them ; meafure off" two feet for an allej , and plant 

 three more rows as above, and in that manner proceed to 

 the end ; the wide fpacc of two feet is by way of alley to 

 go between, to hoe and clear off weeds as well as to dake 

 and fupport the llalks of the plants when neceffary. In 

 June the fiower-dalks will be (hot to their full height, and 

 the flower heads will be formed at top, to fecurc which, in 

 ercCl pofition, drive fome dout dakes in the ground along 

 each row, at two yards didance, and from dake to Hake 

 fallen double lines of packthread ; and if thefe arc tied to- 

 gether in the interval, between the dems of the jilants, it 

 will effeftually feeure them. About the latter end of Auguft 

 the feed will be ripe, which is known by the capfules open- 

 ing, and the black colour of the feed ; the heads (hould I>e 

 cut in a dry day and fpread upon elochs in the fun, care 

 being taken to remove them under cover in cafe of wet and 

 at night ; and when perfeflly dry, beat or rub out the feed ; 

 cleaning it from the rubbifli, and putting it up in bags for 

 ufe. 



As it is of the utmod importance to have good frelh feed, 

 fome to try its goodnefs, before they venture their general 

 crop, fow a little in a pot, and place it in a moderate hot- 

 bed or near a fire ; a more expeditious method however is 

 to tie about a thimble full of the feed, loofely in a piece of 

 linen rag, and put it into a veffel of hot w.ater, fufpcnded 

 by a threail ; in ten to fifteen or twenty minutes, pull it out, 

 and if the feeds are good, they will, in that time, liave ger- 

 minated or fproutcd, perhaps to the extent of a quarter of 

 an inch in length. 



7 As 



