458 



THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 



or perhaps twice, during the winter 

 time. The weeding is done by 

 women in dry weather, each woman 

 taking with her a small round basket 

 to put the weeds into, rather than 

 throw them on the alleys. In 

 marketing these Onions they are 

 cleared off the beds in large patches, 

 and not by picking out the strongest 

 and leaving the weakest, as is gene- 

 rally done ; and they are washed, 

 which makes them look white. If 

 a portion be intended for trans- 

 planting, a piece of well-prepared 

 rich ground is made ready for them, 

 rolled firmly, and lined off into rows 

 about 9 in. apart, and into these 

 lines the young plants are dibbled 

 about 6 in. apart. These make 

 large saleable bulbs early in July. 

 The kinds used for autumn sowings 

 consist of White Spanish, White 



Tripoli or Lisbon. Some growers 

 save large quantities of Onion seed, 

 for which purpose well-formed bulbs 

 are selected and planted in spring 

 in rows which vary from 2 to 6 ft. 

 apart. Lettuce, Radishes, Spinach, or 

 other low-growing vegetables being 

 grown as intermediate crops. After 

 the flower-stems make their appear- 

 ance they are staked at intervals, 

 and twine or cord is strained on 

 either side the rows to prevent the 

 stems being beaten down by hail, 

 rain, or wind. Ordinary Onion seed 

 fetches from 2s. to 55*. per lb., 

 according to the season ; but the 

 best seed, or that from improved 

 or rare sorts, is more valuable. In 

 Hertfordshire large breadths of seed 

 Onions may be seen in July, and on 

 good deep land it is considered one 

 of the most profitable of crops. * 



Uses. — The bulbs are eaten boiled, raw, or pickled with 

 vinegar. 



Small White Extra Early Barletta Onion. — Bulbs very 

 rapidly ; it is, in fact, the earliest of all Onions. Sown in the spring, 

 it roots within two months. The roots are large enough for 



Small White Early Barletta Onion. 



New Queen Onion natural size). 



pickles and even for kitchen use. The bulbs are white, small, 

 shaped like the White Lisbon Onion, flat on top and rather conical 

 at the bottom. 



* Onions for Exhibition, see p. 763. Onion Fly see p. 777. 



