ALLIACEOUS PLANTS. — THE ONION. 



41 



anomalous. These cauline bulbs are planted in 

 spring, and produce ground-onions of a very 

 useful size; and, although smaller than the 

 ordinary sorts, they make up for size in greater 

 pungency of quality. 



14. Potato, or underground onion. — For a 

 somewhat similar purpose, this sort, which sel- 

 dom ripens its seeds, increases itself by the 

 formation of bulbs under the ground, as if de- 

 termined to be the very antipodes of the last. 

 This variety has been in cultivation just about 

 half a century in the southern parts of England, 

 where, on account of the crop ripening much 

 sooner than that of the seed-produced sorts, a 

 ready market has long been found for them in 

 supplying ships leaving our ports in June and 

 July, at which season they could not procure 

 others fit for keeping. It has been stated to 

 have been brought to this country from Egypt 

 by our troops, on their return, after driving the 

 French out of that country, about the beginning 

 of the present century; and of this we entertain 

 not a shadow of doubt, the land of Egypt being 

 the land of onions since the days of the Pha- 

 raohs at least. This variety is cultivated to a 

 very great extent in that country, and its singu- 

 lar mode of growth, apart from its excellent 

 qualities, would no doubt attract the attention 

 of our soldiers, who could hardly be supposed 

 to be aware of the fact that it had been grown 

 to a limited extent a few years only prior to the 

 time to which we allude, in a London nursery. 

 This onion is well adapted for cottage gardens, 

 even in climates where the ordinary sorts do not 

 ripen. It is cultivated to very great perfection 

 in the parish of Currie, west of Edinburgh, 

 where we have seen them as large and fine as 

 in Devonshire. The mode of cultivation differs 

 not from that of the shallot and garlic already 

 disposed of, except that the individual bulbs 

 do not admit of division ; but in taking up the 

 crop, numerous small bulbs will be found clus- 

 tered among the larger ones, which are all 

 attached to the main root after the manner of 

 potatoes, and hence its trivial name of potato- 

 onion. The plants growing stronger than either 

 shallots or garlic, require more space both be- 

 tween the rows and also between each other in 

 the line. Fifteen inches by ten may be given 

 as an average distance. In one particular more 

 they essentially differ ; their bulbs are formed 

 under ground : therefore, although the planted 

 bulbs are best set on the surface, the earth 

 should be gathered up ai'ound them in the way 

 recommended (but with doubtful advantage) in 

 the case of the potato. Their subsequent cul- 

 ture consists in keeping them clear of weeds, 

 and a liberal supply of liquid manure during 

 warm weather only. Planting should be at- 

 tended to in November, although, in cold places, 

 March may be with some advantage chosen. By 

 the end of June, or beginning of July, they are 

 fit, in most places, for taking up. Their curing 

 and keeping are the same as we have already 

 described for the others of the tribe. Much of 

 the success, however, depends on the state of 

 the ground. This is a root which we hold to be 

 of importance in every garden, though it is too 

 seldom found. In Devonshire, where they are 



much grown, there is a familiar saying, " Plant 

 on the shortest day, and take up on the longest." 

 This onion, like all the tribe of cultivated allia- 

 ceous plants, requires a rich deep soil, well 

 manured, and dry at bottom. For this pur- 

 pose the ground should be deeply trenched, 

 and the manure (pigeons' dung, or the offal 

 of a slaughter-house, if they can be obtained), 

 wrought in during the process ; for, although it 

 is perhaps • not generally known, the roots of 

 this variety have been found extending to the 

 depth of six feet under the surface. When the 

 soil is naturally shallow, it should be gathered 

 up in ridges, and upon these the sets should be 

 planted. For cold situations, this has another 

 advantage, as the solar rays will penetrate such 

 ridges, and impart a greater degree of warmth 

 to the soil around the roots than if they were 

 planted on a flat surface. In establishments 

 where fully ripened onions are required through- 

 out the year, these may be brought forward at 

 even a sufficiently early period to succeed the 

 ordinary kinds that have been preserved during 

 the winter. To effect this, the bulbs should be 

 planted in pots in October or November, and 

 kept in a cool pit through the winter, and 

 turned carefully out into a well- prepared border 

 at the bottom of a south wall (or equally warm 

 place) early in March. The autumn-planted 

 crop will require to be looked at during winter, 

 and any bulbs that may have been thrown out, 

 or displaced by the frost, reset; and in the 

 coldest of all localities, a little mulching or 

 rotten dung or leaves may, with advantage, be 

 placed on the surface between the rows. This 

 will exclude frost and the drought of spring at 

 the same time. 



The Welsh onion, or Ciboule, is seldom grown. 

 It is an extremely hardy perennial of strong 

 flavour, but does not produce bulbs. It is sown 

 in August, to be drawn green in spring, for use 

 in the manner of leeks, and in that state is not 

 unfrequently termed scallion — an epithet ap- 

 plied by country people to all sorts of onions 

 when they do not produce bulbs. 



Onions for pickling are in demand in every 

 family. For this purpose the silver-skinned 

 varieties should be chosen, on account of their 

 delicate white colour, slightly intermixed with 

 greenish lines between the coatings. As they 

 are usually preferred when small — about the size 

 of a filbert — it is necessary they be sown on very 

 poor soil. "We have a border, the soil of which 

 is soft alluvial sand : on this we have grown 

 silver-skinned onions annually during the last 

 thirteen years ; trenching it as soon as the crop 

 is gathered, two feet in depth, giving it no 

 manure whatever ; sowing thickly in the broad- 

 cast manner, in three feet beds — which are 

 formed after the crop has come above ground, 

 by running a hoe from side to side, and thus 

 forming alleys fifteen inches broad, the seed 

 having, to save time, been sown all over the 

 piece. The situation is warm, which insures 

 the ripening of the bulbs ; the soil being very 

 poor, and the crop thick, produces them of a 

 small uniform size. In small gardens, and in 

 those wherein the soil is of a very rich nature, 

 such onions are difficult to procure. Sowing 



