March 1895.] GENERAL AGRICULTURAL NOTES, 3 33 



by tying the cut ends of the straw stalks together with twine 

 or^ garden cord, six or eight in a loop, with spaces of about 

 3 inches between the wisps, and attaching them to a pole which 

 is suspended under the eaves of the penthouse in front of the 

 trees. The texture, being open, does not prevent the light and 

 air reaching the buds. It might be supposed that this method 

 would hurry the blooms, but it has, in fact, the very opposite 

 effect. The brilliant surface of the straw, by reflecting the sun's 

 rays, keeps the temperature inside lower than that outside. 

 These shields are usually placed in position about the 1st of 

 March, and are not removed, except in cloudy weather, until all 

 danger from frost has passed. 



Cultivating Onions in Egypt. 



The onion crop of the valley of the Nile is of great importance 

 and brings an increasing amount of money each year to Egypt^ 

 as onions are shipped in enormous quantities to England, 

 France, and other European countries, and even to the United 

 States, where they find a ready sale at good prices. So excel- 

 lent is the quality, that efforts are, it is said, being made in 

 other countries to raise onions from Egyptian seed. 



Mr. F. C. Penfield, the United States Consul- General at 

 Cairo, has communicated to his Government some interesting 

 information on the cultivation of onions in Egypt. 



The more popular Egyptian onion, known as " Baali," is, it 

 appears, grown in yellow soil, which is sparingly watered while 

 the bulbs are maturing, in order that the onions may stand a 

 lengthy sea voyage with little risk of " sprouting." 



The first stage of cultivation covers the season of the sprouts 

 for transplanting. Toward the end of August, or the beginning 

 of September, the land intended for the onion crop is irrigated 

 from the Nile. After letting the water run off, the soil is left to 

 dry until the first ploughing, when the ploughshare penetmtes 

 not deeper than four fingers' breadth. All clods of earth are 

 broken up and pulverised. The land is then divided into plots 

 about 10 feet square and stirred lightly with a double-headed 

 mattock — the favourite implement of the Egyptian farmer — one 

 side being broad like an adze and the other like a f>ickaxe. The 

 seed is then scattered freely and evenly at the rate of something 

 under two bushels to the acre. After sowing, a "plank" is 

 passed lightly over the soil to cover the seed and bring the plots 

 to the same level. The plots are then irrigated, the islets along 

 the Nile being irrigated four times and the raised lands six 

 times. The first irrigation takes place immediately a iter sowing, 

 while a second and very light watering is given as soon as the 

 plants appear above ground, and the borders of the plots are 



