ONION. 



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finely dug, the surface rolled sraootli and all the clods beat 

 fine that may have escaped the spade. The rows may be 

 laid off from twelve to fourteen inches apart. The drills 

 should be drawn very shallow, as the best onions grow 

 upon the surface of the ground. For this reason, it is well 

 to roll the bed, or beat it smooth with the back of the 

 spade, before making the drills. Some soak the seed 

 twenty-four hours before planting, but to little advantage. 

 Do not sow very thick — only one or two seeds in a place. 

 A seed every two inches is quite thick enough, as thin- 

 ning out, when too thick, is apt to injure the remainder. 

 Cover the seeds about half an inch, and press down the 

 earth upon them by a roller, or by walking over them on a 

 board. When they come up, thin them out gradually in 

 the drills, to 6 inches apart. Keep the bed clean and free 

 from weeds ; and stir it frequently, but not deeply, with a 

 hoe. Do not hill the earth np against the onions ; but 

 draw it away from them with the fingers, as they do bet- 

 ter to grow entirely above the ground. There is no crop 

 more easily raised or preserved, if the ground is rich 

 enough, and the bulbs made to grow upon the surface. 

 After the young onions have got a good start, it is best to 

 drop the hoe entirely and resort to hand-weeding. In dry 

 weather, a thorough drenching in weak liquid manure, or 

 soapsuds, is excellent. For pickling, the white onion 

 should be sown much more thickly, and thinned out until 

 about one or two inches apart in the row, which will cause 

 them to ripen early, before they have made too large a 

 growth. 



If onions grow thick-necked, and do not bulb properly, 

 bend down the stems about two inches above the neck, to 

 the ground, without disturbing the roots. This is needful 

 only in very wet seasons. 



When very large bulbs are desired, the seed may bo 



