38 
The Illustrated Guide for Amateur Gardeners 
ONION— Allan’s Reliance. 
ALLAN’S RELIANCE, from a Photograph. 
SW 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 tho 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 J lb. each. Per pkt. 6d. ; oz. Is. 6d. 
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 mild ; 
one of the best for exhibition. Per pkt. Is. ; per oz. 2s. fid. 
Silver Skinned or Pickling Varieties. 
per oz. — s. 
EARLY WHITE GEM. One of the earliest in cultivation, three 
k weeks earlier than the Queen, and comes to maturity from 
eight to ten weeks from time of sowing. Very useful for 
pickling . . . . . . . . per pkt. 4d. 1 
d. ! per oz. — s. 
EARLY QUEEN. Remarkably quick-growing, may be sown in 
July and will ripen the same year . . . . . . 0 
SILVER SKIN. Of very quick growth, best for pickling . . 0 
0 i 
d. 
» 
10 
Cultivation. — There are few vegetable crops upon which so much care is expended as the Onion, and 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 tho 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. W T hen the 
young plants are about throe 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 mado in February, 
and the main sowing of all kinds in March. 
The greatest care should be taken in preparing the Onion bed, the ground being thoroughly raked over, all the stones cleared off, and a perfectly fine 
surface obtained and the soil made quite firm. Sow tho seeds very evenly in shallow drills about eighteen inches apart and carefully cover the seed by 
putting the soil from the side of the drills 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 tho 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 soason, a good watering 
with lime water will be found to be of much service. 
Great care is necessary in harvesting tho Onion crop. It is a good plan to bend over the tops of the plants in August by going over the plants 
individually, this will assist the ripening of the bulbs. Onions require to bo thoroughly ripened before being taken off the ground and should, therefore, 
be 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. 
