Portugal Onion. By James Warre, Esq. 69 



transplanted, on a rich light loam, well manured with old 

 rotten dung. The mode of transplanting is particular. The 

 plants are laid flat, about nine inches asunder, each way in 

 quincunx, the beard of the root, and part only of the plant, 

 lightly covered with very rich mould, well mixed with two 

 thirds of good old rotten dung. This compost is slightly 

 pressed down on the plant ; water is given, when the 

 weather is dry, until the plants have taken root. Subse- 

 quently, the earth is occasionally broken around them, by 

 slight hoeing, in which operation care is taken not to wound 

 the bulb. Weeding is diligently attended to, and the 

 watering continued, according to the state of the weather. 

 In Portugal, the means of irrigation are easy, the effects 

 of which are particularly beneficial to the Onion : for, by 

 letting the water filter, or pass, through small heaps of dung, 

 placed in the alleys of the beds, a very rich liquid flows in 

 upon the plants. The dung, as it is exhausted, or washed 

 away, should be renewed ; and the water must be checked in 

 its current, so that it may gently spread over the surface. 



When the Onions are ripe, they are drawn up out of the 

 ground, and a twist is given to the top, so as to bend it down. 

 They are left on the ground to season, before they are 

 housed ; then, immediately platted with dry straw, into ropes, 

 or strings, of 25 each, and hung up to dry. They are not 

 permitted to sweat in a heap. Their keeping well depends 

 greatly upon the weather being dry and favourable, when 

 they are brought into the house, and also upon their being 

 carefully handled, and not bruised. In this country, I have 

 practised, with much success, searing the roots, with a hot 



