38 
The Illustrated Guide for Amateur Gardeners. 
ONION— Allan’s Reliance. 
ALLAN’S RELIANCE. Prom a Photograph. 
■V 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 
nmvvaMTn? ^ epe I' . , , ba rlpen off well > and from seed sown early in Spring have been grown to over 1J lb. each. Per pkt. 6d. ; oz. Is. Od. 
UWUANUT. 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 mild : 
one of the best for exhibition. p A , „u . ra 
Silver Skinned or Pickling Varieties. 
EARLY WHITE GEM. One of the earliest in cultivation, three 
weeks earlier than the Queen, and comes to maturity from 
eight to ten weeks from time of sowing. Very useful for 
piokling p)ft . 4d . 
1 0 
per o*. — 8. d. 
I EARLY QUEEN. Remarkably quick-growing, may be sown in 
July and will ripen the same year .. .. w 0 9 
I SILVER SKIN. Of very quick growth, best for pickling — 0 9 
1 llCre a /° few vegetable eropB upon which so much care is expended as the Onion, and during recent years its culture has received much 
ore 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. 
. fu 0r ? 0t ? :n , Cr ‘u S0 .' 1, 1 a K coJ mixture being two parts of good loam to one part of decomposed manure, or leaf soil. When the 
..? r ®, a ° ut tbree 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 ,n the beds about the middle of April. The earliest sowing out of doors should be made in February, 
ana tno main sowing of all kinds in March. J 
.urfaTn Ca ^ e be ^en m preparing the Onion bed. the ground being thoroughly raked over, all the stones cleared off, and a perfectly fine 
‘ and tbe '” ar | e <l u ! te firm- Sow tie seid veiy evenly in shallow drills about eighteen inches apart and carefully cover the seed by 
fhi« »?„• 8 °i' ,h r 1 110 ^ eet - The whole bed should then be well trodden down both down the bed and across as well, after 
® f aae the soi level and little furthrr work is recessary beyond keeping the hoe going and thinning out the plants when the time arrives. 
Saggot id a dry ^aeon, , good 
Great care is necessary in harvesting the Onion crop. 
It is a good plan to bend over the tops of the plants in August by going over the plants 
. „ . -. . „ ■ ,,„.„na require to be thorough ’ ’ ’ ' ’ * ' ' ~ " 
be pu led about the middle of September and turn.d over on the ground every two 
Air V Bhiwl i n .a. d!nn.« X il iL - t • . 1 i . ° . *' . 
individually, this w 11 assist the ri] ening of the bulb.-. Or.ions lequire to he thoroughly ripened before being taken off the ground and should, therefore. 
• „ , i • ,. e mlaale 01 Beptemoer and tumid over on the ground every two or three days for a fortnight, when they should be gathered into an 
airy shed in readme! a for roping together, this being the biet method of stcring them for Winter uso. ere 
