94 
Garden Work 
each end for drills i ft. apart, after which the line should 
be stretched across and the drills drawn — quite level — 
i in. deep. The seed should be sown thinly along the 
drills, or, to economize seed, three or four seeds may be 
sown in clumps 6 in. apart. As soon as the plants appear 
above the soil the hoe should be kept going amongst them. 
When they are 3 or 4 in. high they should be thinned out 
to 3 in. apart, and when they have made sufficient growth 
to make them suitable for using as spring onions, every 
alternate one may be pulled out as they are required for 
use, leaving the permanent plants, which should be about 
6 in. apart, to mature. The clumps, if the seed has germi- 
nated well, may be thinned out to one plant each. These 
should also be about 6 in. apart. The hoe should be kept 
going among the crop, to keep down weeds, and also to 
act as a soil mulch when there is an absence of rain. In 
dry weather, if a thorough soaking of water can be given 
once or twice a week, it will very materially assist the 
crops, especially in the younger stages of their growth. 
A slight sprinkling of water, however, is worse than use- 
less, as it encourages “ surface rooting”, which should be 
avoided. A thorough soaking, or none at all, should be 
the rule. The roots would then make their way deeply 
into the soil, where there is usually sufficient moisture for 
the needs of the plants. 
Autumn Onions. — For these the seed should be sown 
in lines 1 ft. apart, as advised for the spring crop, from 
the beginning to the middle of August. The young 
plants, however, should not be thinned out until spring, 
when they may be thinned as required for use, leaving the 
permanent plants about 6 in. apart. 
