3G 
The Illustrated Guide for Amateur Gardeners. 
ONION— Allan’s Reliance. 
ALLAN’S RELIANCE. From a Photograph. 
HW 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 weli, and from seed sown early in Spring have been grown to over 11 lb. each. Per pkt. Gd. ; oz. Is. Gd. 
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. 1 s. : per oz. 2s. Gd. 
Silver Skinned or 
per oz. — s. cl. 
EARLY WHITE GEM. On© 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 
pickling . . . . . . . . per pkt. 4d. 1 0 
Pickling Varieties. 
ptr oz. — s. d. 
EARLY QUEEN. Remarkably quick-growing, may be sown in 
July and will ripen the same year . . . . ..00 
SILVER SKIN. Of very quick growth, best for pickling . . 0 0 
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 ease. When the seed can bo 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 tho timo 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 timo arrives for planting out in the beds about the middle of April. Tho earliest sowing out of doors should be made in February, 
and the main sowing of all kinds in March. 
'l'ho greatest care should be taken in preparing tho Onion bod, tho ground being thoroughly raked over, all the stones cleared off, and a perfectly fine 
surface obtained and the soil made quite firm. Sow the seeds very evenly in shallow drills about eighteen inches apart and carefully cover the seed by 
putting the soil from the sido of tho 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 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 bo found to be of much service. 
Great care is necessary in harvesting the Onion crop. It is a good plan to bend over the tons of the plants in August by going over the plants 
individually, this will assist the ripening of the bulbs. Onions require to be thoroughly ripened before being taken off the ground and should, therefore, 
■bo 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. 
