214 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



April 



2 . 1898. 



favourable occasions. A cold frame should finish and harden off the 

 plants prior to planting in their final quarters, and the lights placed over 



them only in rough bad weather. - . , _ 



The second or third week in April is the time for planting, and the 

 young onions should be carefully lifted and planted with a garden trowel, 

 disturbing the roots as little as possible in the already prepared soil. 

 The soil should be pressed very firmly about them and water given if the 



_ A 4 — ~ Am I 1 ] A I I A I ■ J 



now. 



They should be planted on a good piece of ground fift*. • . 

 from row to row, and ten inches apart, and moulded un ,nch * 

 as potatos. The crop should be lifted and stored in the rLl Same wav 



' ~ me. ne root ro °n>, about 



J 



Varieties of Onions. 



weather is dry. Syringe overhead two or three times a day till the plants m m ^ ^ 



become established. For the first two or three weeks the soil should be For spring sowing and for general crop, James 5 Long Keeping rtJX 

 stirred very shallow between the plants, after which a good mulching of an old variety, still holds its own as one of the very best Tr • 



sifted horse droppings to the depth of two inches should be applied. u^ ^va^™ K^cf — ^ Ue to lts 



Water freely in dry weather and damp overhead frequently. About 

 every ten days apply a slight dusting of some reliable artificial manure 



* ' ' ' This is best done in the evening in showery 



There are now, as with many other kinds of vesretahlp, 1 

 number of very excellent varieties of onions in cultivation h t* t ^ 

 mention those only which I have proved to be first-rate in each 



»" '■*»»v*/ j ' — *» 



name, it is one of the very best keepers. 



and soot in equal quantities 

 weather. As a rule the onion fly is not very troublesome to these early 

 sowings, but it is always well to keep a few plants in reserve, and to re- 

 move and replant without delay any that do not start away satisfactorily, 

 or that show the least signs of being affected. It is a capital plan to pot 

 on a few of the plants from the boxes into five or six inch pots for this 

 purpose, so that when planted they will receive but little check. Sometimes 

 mildew will make its appearance, and in a short time seriously damage 

 the whole bed. This must be constantly watched for. It generally ap- 

 pears in one place first, and unless stringent measures are speedily adopted 

 to arrest it, it will in a few days spread to the whole of the bed, and 

 growth will be seriously checked ; therefore not a minute should be lost 

 in trying to stamp it out. Cut off and carefully remove and burn every 

 affected leaf, and dust thoroughly with fine slacked lime and black sulphur. 



If all goes well, I venture to say no crop cultivated in the kitchen 

 garden will give more pleasure during the growing season than the 

 onions. Except to keep the beds free from weeds by hand pulling, 

 and to give thorough waterings in dry weather, nothing further in the way 

 of labour will be required till growth is completed, which should be by 

 about the middle of August. Before finally lifting, the most promising 

 bulbs should be partially lifted with a small hand fork, which will help to 

 ripen, and prevent them splitting should the weather be wet. Choose a 

 fine day for selecting and lifting the crop. Much care is necessary in 

 handling the bulbs ; indeed, too much pains can hardly be taken so that 

 they are not bruised or damaged in the slightest, or they will not keep in 

 a sound condition for any length of time. Exhibition onions ought to be 

 handled as carefully as ripe peaches, for the largest and best are the 

 least likely to keep well when damaged. In finishing off the ripening it 

 is absolutely essential that they should be kept dry. I have found the 

 most ready way of accomplishing this is to place the bulbs in boxes hold- 

 ing about a dozen each, which should be half filled with wood wool for 

 them to rest on. These can easily be moved from one place to another, 

 and during fine weather they should be stood out in an open sunny posi- 

 tion, bringing them under cover at night. During wet days a cool, airy 

 vinery is a suitable place, or failing this, a cold frame will answer, if 

 kept well aired. The bulbs should be turned daily, so that every rart 

 becomes exposed. After this has been thoroughly done the bulbs should be 

 cleaned, only removing the loose skins. Pare off the roots neatly, and 

 shorten the tops (leaving about six inches), which should be tied tightly 

 at the end with fine twine, then store away in a cool dry room till 

 wanted. 



Onions for exhibition should be large, small necks, thoroughly ripened, 

 and of good shape. Without doubt the finest type for exhibition, is the true 

 form of Ailsa Craig (one of the finest onions ever raised), which ought to be 

 globular in shape. I prefer to arrange the bulbs with necks upwards in 

 green moss, edged with parsley. 



Autumn-sown or Winter Onions. 



This is a most useful and important crop to grow either for exhibition 

 or ordinary use. To grow these successfully, the ground must be pre- 

 pared as for the summer crop and the onions planted thereon from the 

 seed bed very early in the spring, indeed on the very first favourable 

 chances. Many practise growing the onions where sown, and for 

 ordinary purposes this will suffice, but for exhibition, I am fully convinced 

 much better results will accrue when transplanted to a well-prepared 

 piece of ground. Generally speaking, among amateurs and cottagers, 

 the seed is sown too early, consequently much of the crop runs to flower 

 in the spring. Two sowings should be made, one about August 20, and 

 another about a week later. In mild weather and on light soils, the 

 latter sowing will often prove to be the best. A piece of ground selected 

 in the open for the first sowing, and a south border for the last is advised. 

 It should be deeply dug but not manured, and the bed should be made 

 very firm and dusted well over with soot and wood ashes, finely sifted. 

 The drills should be nine inches apart and the seed sown thinly, when 

 little other attention will be required, except occasional hoeings, till the 

 spring, when the strongest and best plants should be lifted carefully with 

 the trowel. Plant firmly and hoe about them frequently for the first 

 month, when they should be top dressed with sifted old mushroom bed 

 manure and kept well watered during dry weather. For spring and early 

 shows such onions are indispensable, and form one of the most important 

 and telling dishes of vegetables. They are never expected to be ripened 

 S£ u ST e f shows, and the outside skin only should be removed. 



Another very excellent V a 

 is Veitch's Main Crop, of splendid quality and a good keeper Im !5 

 Reading is also a fine variety. For exhibition, without doubt Devoir 

 Ailsa Craig is far and away the best ; well-grown specimens of these a 

 a pleasure to look at, both growing and on the exhibition staS? 

 DeverilPs Cocoa Nut is also a fine onion, of good quality and very hand 

 some, but not so large as the preceding. These globe-shaped sorti 

 when well presented, will always find most favour with experienced 

 judges, and rightly so. Among the flat types, DeverilPs Lord Keeper 

 DeverilPs Anglo-Spanish, Sutton's Ar, Cutbush's Barnet Hero, Carter's 

 Record, and Cranston's Excelsior, are all grand varieties, and each wortL 

 growing. No doubt there are others equally as good, but these have 

 specially come under my notice. For autumn sowing, white Leviathan 

 is a grand onion for the early shows. It produces bulbs of great size and 

 I have grown it myself twenty-one inches in circumference. Unfortunate!? 

 it is a bad keeper and should not be largely grown, but when well arranged 

 on the exhibition stage, it is of excellent appearance and very telling. 

 Blood Red Rocca, when true, is grand for exhibition, and can be 

 depended on for later shows more than the above. Lemon Rocca if 

 also a distinct and valuable addition and comes in well for late spring 

 shows. There are many others, but the three named will be found quite 

 sufficient for any garden. For pickling purposes, the old Silver Skinned 

 is still the most popular. 

 Aldenham House Ga 



E. Reckett 



Double Winter Stocks. 



The chief value of the winter stocks, the Brompton, and the Queen 

 types, is, that when they pass in safety through -the winter, they bloom in 

 spring before the summer varieiies are sufficiently advanced to display 

 their flowers. It is, therefore, usual to sow the seeds in July or August, 

 plant out in September or later, as the case may be, to stand the win' " 



w~w-> 1 1 • - - « sm m a m» m • ft* . n 1 il _ I A. am ■m.sm 



The difficulty of keeping the plants in safety through the winter is great, 

 unless they are on a warm dry border, through which water passes away 

 freely ; and then, when a dry time sets in in late spring or early summer, 

 the plants will suffer greatly. The stock is a soft and succulent plant, it 

 may be said to be of a tender character at all times, and when a mild 

 growing autumn lasts nearly up to Christmas, and is followed, as 

 frequently happens, by drenching rain, with sharp frost close on its heels 

 stocks suffer, especially when they on moist heavy land. 



One of the most useful of the winter stocks is that known as the (>ueen, 

 with which the Brompton type is often confounded. In fact there are 

 two types of the Queen, both somewhat dwarf, and free from change . 

 one having the flowers borne on short stems and therefore more com r* 

 on the spike ; the other with the blossoms more broadly spread from m 

 spike. In the case of each of these types there is generally a good pnj 

 portion of double blossoms. The true Brompton stock is ot tan 

 strong build, not branching out as do the Queen type, but P™*jJ 

 only one stem, generally strong and of considerable length. n > 

 stocks produce large double blossoms, they are very nne, 

 percentage of large full flowers of this character is small. < ^ 



Suggestions have been made as to the adoption of means to 

 doubleness in stocks, but it is doubtful if any of the P rescr,1 f^ "£2 

 when applied, reallv conduce to this end. Multiplication ™™£ m 

 appears to be the general cause of doubleness m stocks, aorn c ^ 

 suppose that the act of doubling is due to a mere excess ot ae v 

 and that is doubtless the reason why, in selecting plants uh ^ ^ 

 those blossoms are preferred which appear to possess mo 

 normal number of petals. It is matter of general ™°™f ( T wild ooe < 

 forms are more frequently found among cultivated plants u» rka yy 

 and when, as sometimes happens— though the occurrence i 

 rare-a wild primrose is found to have become double, i usua yjr^ 

 in the case of a plant showing excessive vitality, but n ^ w 

 starvation will produce the same result, though the Horw» blossoBU 

 very few cases indeed of such a cause producing doubiene» ■ t bat the 

 indeed, his general experience is in the other d.rec on, ' , od * 

 starvation of plants usually producing double flowers wi"J«M tat9 y« 

 them t rt „: t- 3 f»_ c^mtnii has mentioned an ffce 



southern ; and this seems to point to the effect of cu » m ?"r wh £ the g 

 the flowers. The stock illustrates one fact, namely, ^ 

 position to form double flowers is established ,ronl stoc ' ks » says -J 

 T ..v —•■"--«•«»"'»», sou me outside skin oniy snouia De removea. tendency becomes hereditary. "There are races o one doobr 

 n ™ s f houJd large, clear, and of good shape, and arranged on a Masters, "in which, out of hundreds of plants, ^dency * * 

 SSL \ v g - hem U P nice, y like cauliflowers and garnishing with flowered form is met with ; on the other hand, wh « n * n ^ hich stocks V* 



up, single flowers become the exception " The * 0 ' ' s et up, |^ 

 grown may, if what is known as the plethora well and W 



direct influence on doubling in a nutritious, strong ioai , to3S sistU* 

 dug and manured, at the same time possessing enougri i o and a** 



roots in running freely in it ; the brompton stocks rtowe ^ ^ ^ 

 producing noble spikes of bloom when the d 10S5 "' d purposes^ 



Given good soil and^areful selection of blossoms » * 5 0 that**; 

 tendency to double may be hastened Let ilMt^W not 

 must come from single flowers, as the double blossom ^ p. 



nor aavisaoie to grow them extensively. For late shows the spring sown 

 Z wh° Its a l W?yS be exhibit ed in preference, but when classes are made 



5hi5& tr!t5 15 ° ften the case > th « bulbs should be ripened off and 

 exh bited in the same way as the summer ones. 



cnffirJlntl^'r -. any specia l Purpose in large quantities, generally 

 ?r ?S 2 c" 1 ° ni ° n vf [° r p,ckl,n S can be selected from the general bed sown 



