D. M. Ferry &. Cos Descriptive Catalogue. 



3T 



OXIOBJ. 



Fr. Oignon.^Q&r. Ziveibeln. 



The Onion not only contains considerable nutriment 

 and has valuable medicinal properties, but is most use- 

 ful in counteracting the bad effects of sedentary life. 

 The disagreeable odor it imparts to the breath may be 

 avoided in a great measure by thorough cooking, or by 

 eating a few leaves of parsley. 



There is no vegetable where the quality of the seed 

 exerts a greater influence upon the crop than in onions. 

 On our trial grounds we have found a difference of over 

 400 per cent, in the marketable product of two rows of 

 onions, planted the same day, side by side, thinned to 

 the same number of plants to the rod, hoed and treated 

 in every way precisely alike, the difference being en- 

 tirely owing to the seed, which were samples of stock 

 offered us by two growers. Here, then, if nowhere else, 

 the greatest care should be taken to secure the best pos- 

 sible seed. Seed grown in the north will be pretty sure 

 to produce better onions when sown in the Southern 

 States, than southern grown seed. 



We make a specialty of onion seed, and grow and dis- 

 pose of 7?iany tons annually. The demand for our seed 

 has increased so rapidly that we are yearly increasing 

 our facilities for growiyig^ so lYiaXw^ think we annu- 

 ally produce on our seed farms near Detroit, the largest 

 crop g^own by any one firm in America. Our stock is 

 diss, grown from choice^ selected bulbs, under our own 

 supervision^ therefore those who order seed of us will 

 be sure of getting -neiv^ choice seed of the best quality, 

 ONIONS— HO-fV TO RAISK XHEM. 



This is a question we are a.«ked many times every 

 year, and which we will try to answer from our expe- 

 rience in raising many thousands of bushels. 



Soil. — A good crop of onions can be raised on any 

 soil which will produce a full crop of corn, unless it be 

 a stiff clay, very light sand or gravel, or certain varie- 

 ties of muck or swamp lands. We prefer a rich, sandy 

 loam, with a light mixture of clay. This is much bet- 

 ter if it has been cultivated with hoed crops, kept clean 

 of weeds, and well manured for two years previous, be- 

 cause if a sufficient quantity of manure to raise an ordi- 

 nary soil to a proper degree of fertility is applied at 

 once, it is likely to make the onions soft. 



]>Ia.nux*e. — There is no crop where the quality of 

 the manure used is of greater importance than in this. 

 If it is too rank it is quite sure to make soft onions,with 

 many scullions. It should be well fermented and shov- 

 eled over at least twice during the previous summer to 

 kill weed seeds. Of the comm.ercial manures, we pre- 

 fer fine ground bone to any other, but large crops are 

 raised by the use of superphosphates. If these manures 

 are used, one-half should be applied when the crop is 

 sown, and the rest just before they begin to form bot- 

 toms. 



I^eparation.— In time to complete the work 

 before the ground freezes up, remove all refuse of pre- 

 vious crops, and spread the composted manure evenly, 

 at the rate of about fifty cart loads to the acre. This 

 should first be cultivated in. and then the ground 

 ploughed a moderate depth, taking a narrow furrow, in 

 order more thoroughly to mix the manure with the soil. 

 Carefully avoid tramping on the ground during the win- 

 ter, and as early in the spring as it can be worked, cul- 

 tivate or thoroughly drag it with a heavy harrow, and 

 then in the opposite direction with a light one, after 

 which the entire surface should be raked with steel hand 

 rakes. It is impossible to cultivate the crop economi- 

 cally unless the rows are perfectly straight ; to secure 

 this, stretch a line along one side, fourteen feet from 

 the edge, and make a distinct mark along it; then, hav- 



ing made a wooden marker something like a giant rake 

 with five teeth about a foot long and standing fourteen 

 inches apart, make four more marks by carefully drsivr- 

 ing it with the outside tooth in, and the head at right 

 angles to the perfectly straight mark made by the line. 

 Continue to work around this line until on the third 

 passage of the marker you reach the side of the field 

 where you began; measure fifteen feet two inches from 

 the last row, stretch the line again, and mark around in 

 the same way. This is much better than to stretch a line 

 along one side, as it is impossible to prevent the rows, 

 gradually becoming crooked, and by this plan we 

 straighten them after every third passage of the marker. 



SO'^ving tlie Seed.— This should be done as 

 soon as the ground can be got ready, and can best be 

 done by a hand seed drill. This should be carefully- 

 adjusted (testing it by running it over a barn floor), to 

 sow the desired quantity of seed and about one-half inch 

 deep. The quantity needed will vary with the soil, the 

 seed used, and the kind of onions desired. Thin seed- 

 ing gives much larger onions than thick, Four or five 

 pounds is the usual quantity needed to grow large 

 onions. We use a drill with a roller attached, but if 

 the drill has none, the ground should be well rolled with 

 a hand roller immediately after the seed is planted. 



Cultivation.— As soon as the onions are up so- 

 they can be seen the length of the row, give them the 

 first hoeing just skimming the ground between the 

 rows. We use a hoe made expressly for that purpose. 

 The blade is eight inches long and one and a half 

 broad, with a long, crooked shank set in a handle five 

 feet long. The shape of the hoe allows the earth to 

 pass over the blade without moving it out of its place. 

 A few days after give them the second hoeing, this- 

 time close up to the plants, after which weeding must- 

 be continued. This operation requires to be carefully 

 and thoroughly done; the weeder must get down to his- 

 work on his knees astride of the row, stirring the earth 

 around the plants, in order to destroy any weeds that 

 have just started and cannot be seen. In ten days or- 

 two weeks they will require another hoeing and weed- 

 ing similar to the last; and two weeks later give them 

 still another hoeing, and if necessary, another weeding. 

 If the work has been thoroughly done, and at the pro- 

 per time, the crop will not need anything more until 

 ready to gather. 



Extra Early Red. 



Gatliering'. — As soon as the tops die and fall,- 

 the crop should be gathered by pulling four rows and 

 laying them in a single one the tops all one way, and 

 then returning on the next four forming a similar row, 

 but with the tops in the opposite direction ; laying the 

 tops in this way greatly facilitates the "topping.' If 

 the weather is fine they will need no attention while 

 curing, but if it is not, they will need to be stirred by 

 simply moving them slightly along the row. When the. 



