ONION. 



87 



They will come very acceptably into use in March and April ; 

 or a few of the large Onions can be planted in September; 

 they will divide into several roots or scallions, and can be 

 drawn for use as above, and a few more can be planted early 

 in Spring, to draw for the same purpose. 



Seed Saving. — It is very important to have good seed, there- 

 fore, select the most uniform roots in September, and plant 

 them fully under ground, in rows one foot apart, and two feet 

 from row to row. Let the ground be in excellent condition, 

 for the stronger the plants, the finer the seed, which will be 

 ripe in July or August, according to the weather. As soon as 

 the heads begin to open and show the black seeds, they must be % 

 cut off and put into a sheet to dry. Clean it out well when 

 perfectly dry — all seeds keep best in bags hanging in an airy 

 room, and Onion seed will be perfectly good for three years. 

 To grow Onions for pickling, sow the seed thinly in a bed in 

 March or April, at the same time that the general crop is planted. 

 No further culture is required, except hand-weeding, as their 

 thickness in the bed will prevent their growing large, and will 

 * cause them to come to maturity sooner. They should be lifted 

 in clear sunshine weather, as it improves their color. The 

 White or Silver-skinned is the sort usually grown for this pur- 

 pose. 



The Onion crop is an interesting portion of garden ing to 

 every good housewife. She is ever solicitous that it should 

 be full and certain. As it requires to be powerfully ma- 

 nured, we throw out the following hints for her special use. 

 As we have intimated. Onions will grow on the same soil year 

 after year, without any deterioration, provided it is liberally 

 supplied with nutrition : for this purpose the following ingredi- 

 ents, always plentiful about every house, and generally thrown 

 to waste, can be most beneficially applied. Soot spread over 

 the ground, either before or after the crop, or thinly over the 

 young plants — urine thrown cer the ground during the Winter 



