40 
The Illustrated Guide for Amateur Gardeners. 
ONION Allan’s Reliance. 
ALLAN'S RELIANCE. .From a Photograph. 
ALLAN’S RELIANCE. This fine Onion has been grown and selected by Mr. Allan of Gunton Park Gardens for many 
years past, and, as will be seen from our illustration, is now brought up to the very highest type of a White Spanish 
Onion ; besides being of splendid size and keeping quality, it is unsurpassed for exhibition. Per pkt. 6d. ; per oz. Is. 6d. 
ALL THE YEAR ROUND. A new type of Onion growing to a large size, but having the advantage over many of the present exhibition varieties of 
being a grand keeper. The bulbs ripen off well, and from seed sown early in Spring have been grown to over 1£ lb. each. Per pkt. od. ; oz. Is. >< . 
COCOANUT This fine Onion has been grown to the weight of three pounds each. The skin is a very delicate pale straw colour, flesh white and lniki ; 
one of the best for exhibition. Per pkt. Is. ; per oz. 2s. 6d. 
Silver Skinned or Pickling Varieties. 
per oz. — s. d. ' , P er ? z -- s - 
EARLY WHITE GEM. One of the earliest in cultivation, three EARLY QUEEN. Remarkably quick-growing, may be sown in f 
weeks earlier than the Queen, and comes to maturity from July and will ripen the same year .. •• •• ” . ■ 
eight to ten weeks from time of sowing. Very useful for SILVER SKIN. Of very quick growth, best for pickling . . 0 — 9 
pickling . . . . . . . . . . per pkt. 4d. 1 0 
Cultivation. — There are few vegetable crops upon which so much care is expended as the Onion, arid during recent years its culture has received much 
more attention than was formerly the case. When the seed can be raised in January in heat (thereby obtaining an early start) it is possible to grow bulbs 
of equal size to those grown from seed sown the previous Autumn ; about the last week in January is the time for the earliest sowing. 
Sow the seed in boxes or pots in fine soil, a good mixture being two parts of good loam to one part of decomposed manure, or leaf soil. When the 
young plants are about three inches high prick them off into boxes, and give all the light possible, gradually admitting air, and hardening as the days 
lengthen, until the time arrives for planting out in the beds about the middle of April. The earliest sowing out of doors should be made in February; 
ancf the main sowing of all kinds in March. , , . .. c 
The greatest care should be taken in preparing the Onion bed, the ground being thoroughly raked over, all the stones cleared oft, and a perfectly tine 
surface obtained and the soil made quite firm. Sow the seed very evenly in shallow drills about eighteen inches apart and carefully cover the seed by 
putting the soil from the side of tho drids with the feet. The whole bed should then be well trodden down both down the bed and across as well, after 
this, again rake the soil level and little further work is necessary beyond keeping the hoe going and thinning out the plants when the time arrives. 
Unless specially fine bulbs are required it is not advisable to thin too much. To prevent an attack of Onion Maggot in a dry season, a good watering 
with lime water will be found to be of much service. 
Great care is necessary in harvesting the Onion crop. It is a good plan to bend over tho tops of the plants in August by going over the plants 
individually, this will assist tho ripening of the bulbs. Onions require to be thoroughly ripened before being taken off the ground and should, therefore, 
he pulled about the middle of September and turned over on the ground every two or three days for a fortnight, when they should be gathered into an 
airy shed in readiness for roping together, this being the best method of storing them for Winter use. 
