CULTURE OF THE ONION. 



661 



ter for a spring crop, but as it does not bulb, and is rather stronger than the 

 common onion, it is now but little cultivated : being much hardier, however, 

 it answers well for cold late situations. 



1465. A transplanted crop is, by many gardeners, preferred to a sown one. 

 The seed is sown quite thick in the last week of August, or first week of 

 September, and transplanted into rows, the ordinary kinds 9 inches wide, 

 and 6 inches or 8 inches apart in the row, and the larger kinds at double 

 these distances, in the following March ; the greatest care being taken to 

 keep the whole of the bulb above ground, and only to fix the fibres in the 

 soil. Onions thus treated attain a large size, and produce a uniform crop, 

 without the trouble of thinning, some weeks before a crop sown in IMarch ; 

 the only drawback is that the plants sometimes run to flower. Some per- 

 sons, instead of leaving the onions in the seed-bed through the winter, sow 

 in June, or even in April, if the soil is very poor, quite thick, take up the 

 bulbs in September, and dry them and hang them in bags till the April 

 following ; when they are transplanted, by pressing them down with the 

 finger and thumb, at regular distances, in rows. As the object is to prevent 

 the bulb from being earthed up, the ground should be previously trodden 

 or rolled, at least along the line where the plants are to be placed. The 

 shorter the time these onions have been in the ground the preceding year 

 the less likely will they be to run to flower. Another mode of obtaining 

 a transplanted crop, is by sowing in February on a slight hotbed, or merely 

 under glass, and transplanting into rows in April. 



1466. The potato-onion may be planted in February, in shallow drills 1 

 foot apart and 6 inches distant in the row, leaving the point of every bulb 

 exposed, and pressing its lower end firmly to the soil. In Devonshire, where 

 this onion is grown extensively, it is slightly earthed up during summer 

 in the manner of potatoes. It is a common saying there, that it should be 

 planted in the shortest day, and taken up in the longest ; which being fully 

 two months before the common onion is taken up, it is evident that the 

 potato-onion cannot keep so long as that variety. It is an excellent onion 

 for the cottager, as it produces both an early and a certain crop. 



1467. The bulb-bearing onion. — The small bulbs are collected from the 

 heads of the stems, and planted in shallow drills in September ; or the stems, 

 with the heads and bulbs attached, are hung up in a dry airy shed from 

 October till February, and the bulbs are then planted rather closer together 

 than those of the potato-onion. The crop will be fit to take up in J uly, or 

 the beginning of August. 



1468. Treatment common to all the kinds. When the leaves begin to 

 decay at the points, or when any indication of running to flower appears, 

 bend down the stem an inch or two above the bulb, in order to check the 

 supply of sap thrown into the leaves, and thereby promote its accumulation 

 in the bulb. This is commonly done by one person with the back of the 

 rake, or by two, with the handle of a rake or hoe between them. If one 

 bending has not the desired effect, repeat the operation, or bend the stem 

 back again, or give it a twist and turn down at the same time. In very warm 

 dry seasons, the bulbs come to maturity and the stems decay naturally with 

 perhaps a few exceptions ; but in cold wet seasons, the operation is useful, 

 and is generally performed about the middle of August. 



1469. Diseases, insects, S;c. The onion in good soil is little subject to 

 disease, but there are some insects which live on it in their grub or maggot 



