86 



buist's family kitchen gardener. 



They are then planted out in drills for a full crop, as above. 

 Onions may be grown from the seed in one season, fully large 

 enough for culinary purposes, and where the soil is of a deep 

 mellow loam, on a dry bottom, which is most genial to the 

 growth of this bulb, they will grow equally as fine as those 

 that have taken two seasons to mature. For this purpose, sow 

 the seed very thinly, (half an inch apart is thick enough, and 

 an ounce of seed will be ample supply for a family) — in drills 

 nine inches apart, and as shallow as they possibly can be drawn. 

 Tread the seed in with the foot, to make it firm. Sprinkle a 

 very small portion of fine earth over the seed, and finish by 

 raking it evenly. Within three weeks the Onions will make 

 their appearance, when, if many weeds rise among them, they 

 must be cleared with a small hoe, observing not to hoe deep, 

 for the more the Onion rises out of the ground, it is the finer, 

 and keeps better. As soon as the plants are three inches high, 

 thin them out to two inches apart. If the weather is moist, 

 the thinnings may be transplanted into other ground. They 

 too will attain a full size, but observe, in planting, to put the 

 roots only under ground. The plants being now two inches 

 apart, as they grow, every alternate one should be pulled for 

 immediate use, either for soups or salads, leaving the crop four 

 inches apart in the row. Nothing further will be required 

 until they are pulled up for drying, except the keeping down 

 of weeds, which must be strictly attended to. 



In moist seasons, Onions are apt to grow^what is termed) 

 thick-necked : in such cases they should, about the end of J uly, 

 be gently bent down with the handle of the hoe. or the head 

 of a wooden rake, which will check their rapid growth, and 

 cause them to bulb sooner. About the middle of September, 

 sow a row or two of Onion-seed for early Spring use. before 

 any other green salading or seasoning can be obtained ; the 

 plants will be four inches high before Winter sets in severely, 

 when they should have a little rough litter thrown over them, 

 or a row of Spruce branches stuck among them for protection. 



