718 
Crops for Pickling and Preserving. 
the crop is very subject to destruction by mildew (Peronospom 
Schleideniana). This fungoid disease, which also attacks the 
young onions, generally appears in cold wet weather in July. 
The young plants are not, as a rule, destroyed, though in bad 
cases they make no further growth ; a very severe attack on the 
pipes or stems which carry the seed-heads may result in the loss 
of the whole of the seed. In the years 1888 and 1889, the seed 
crops were most seriously injured, nine-tenths of some being 
absolutely killed ; while very few crops suffered loss to the 
extent of less than one-third. Seed was therefore dear, and. 
there was a large demand for that of foreign growth, which, 
though often very good, cannot be relied upon. The Russian seed 
is commonly to all appearances perfect, but it is not infrequently 
useless for pickling purposes because the bulbs grown from it 
split like chestnuts, having some resemblance to shallots, which 
are objected to in the trade merely on account of their shape. I 
saw a held of 14 acres, which — regarded casually — appeared to be 
perfect ; but when the onions were skinned for pickling they were 
found, from the cause mentioned, to be useless, and the owner 
calculated that he had lost 1,000/. This was not his first ex- 
perience of serious loss from this cause. The best seed for the 
purpose in view is the English-grown Spanish onion as a main 
crop, though the Silver-skin is occasionally cultivated for pro- 
ducing specially early bulbs, in order that a start may be made 
with the brining in good time. 
To return to the pickle crop, which was described as being 
sown. The hand-weeding commences as soon as the onions are well 
up, this work being done chiefly by women and children, who go 
down upon their hands and knees and carefully pick out or cut out 
every weed. No top dressings are applied, as artificial manures 
are not popular ; nitrate of soda and other nitrogenous manures 
are found to cause an excessive growth of neck and a soft bulb, 
producing what are called " romps," that is, onions of rampant 
growth, which are altogether unsuitable for pickling purposes. 
Farmyard manure is the fertiliser most preferred, as it retains 
the moisture in dry seasons and keeps the soil open in wet ones. 
Soot is the market-gardener's favourite concentrated manure. 
The onions for pickling are hoed up with either the hand-hoe 
or the horse-hoe ; when they are loosened they are collected by 
hand into rows. It is best to take them away and peel them at 
once, but this is not always practicable. 
Onion-bulbs are liable to two diseases — one is known as 
" mouldy nose," and attacks the nose or root eud either before 
or after pulling, but is generally caused by excessive wet : 
when once thus attacked the bulbs are spoiled for pickling. 
