March 1, 1894 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
159 
MASTERING THE ONION 
MAGGOT—AN APPEAL. 
-X- : 
T he season of seed-sowing is again upon us, and many persons 
have, no doubt, commenced the work in anticipation of a 
bountiful harvest in due time, but if we are to reap the full reward 
we must adopt the best methods of preparation and cultivation. 
The soil must be enriched and fertilised for the reception of the 
seed ; then, as soon as the seedlings appear the hoe should be 
freely used to keep the soil open and allow of its nutrient elements 
having free access to the roots, and also to keep down weeds that 
would otherwise not only choke the plants but appropriate their 
food. Yet after all this and more has been done, how often do 
we wake up some morning to find that disease, or some insect pest, 
has attacked our otherwise fiourishing plants, and ruin seems 
staring them in the face. I am afraid that many such instances 
could be recorded throughout the country in a season, and this 
especially with regard to the Onion crop. 
We hear on every side of large plots of Onions being taken off 
by the Onion maggot—fine, healthy-looking plots, going utterly to 
ruin in a few days. How is it to be prevented, or, rather, where 
is the cure ? I attended some lectures only a short time ago, and 
one of the subjects treated was the Onion. The lecturer spoke at 
great length, and gave his idea as to the best means of prevention 
from an attack of the maggot. He advised early sowing, and the 
use of soot and lime frequently in the early stages of growth, as 
some of the best means of prevention. He said the weakest plants 
were always attacked, and when asked where the fly would deposit 
its eggs if there were no weak plants, he said that he thought 
there would always be some laggards in every district, who would, 
either through poor cultivation or neglect of early sowing, provide 
weak plants for the maggot. That is all very well in its way, but 
I think the majority of the readers of the Journal of Horticulture 
will agree with me that we want to get a little farther. It reminds 
me of the professor who boasted that he had found out many new 
diseases, and when asked if hi had found a cure, he answered no, 
but he had succeeded in finding some very long names for them. 
It is the cure we want, as, obviously, long names do not help us 
out of difficulties, but rather tend to make a few more to be over¬ 
come. 
It seems to me inevitable that if a cure is not found for the 
Onion maggot it must spread over the country, until at some futnre 
time it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to grow Onions. In 
speaking to a practical gardener from the neighbourhood of 
Liverpool a short time ago he told me that in many gardens in his 
district Onion growing had been wholly abandoned on account of 
the maggot. We all know that there are some as able cultivators 
in the Liverpool district as in any part of the country, and if they 
are unable to cope with the enemy it stands to reason it must 
increase, and if there should not be sufficient weakly plants for the 
fly to deposit eggs on it is certain that it will attack strong ones. 
If there are any readers of the Journal who have found out a 
means of mastering the maggot or destroying the enemy in any of 
its stages, hundreds of persons throughout the country would be 
very pleased to hear of it, and I feel sure that the Editor would be 
pleased to give them a corner to relate their experience in. 
I quite concur with the remarks made by “ A Blait Bowkail ” 
(page 139 of your last issue), that it would be a good thing if 
experimental schools could be established in the country, where 
experiments could be Carrie! out in oider to prove the efficacy of 
the VErious scientific discoveiies, and where also reliable men could 
make experiments with the object of making new discoveries. The 
results of their investigations could then be handed to the public 
in a concise form, and it would be information that could be relied 
upon—something that the practical gardener of the present day 
needs, for there is so much expected of him nowadays, that he has 
no time to make experiments for himself, and as your correspondent 
says, as that duty belongs to nobody we have to rely upon whoever 
may think well to take it up. 
Some of the leading nurserymen have done a great deal for us 
in that way, and also there are not a few amateurs who, having a 
fair share of time at their disposal, and being interested in 
horticultural pursuits, or perhaps the cultivation of some particular 
class of plants, have spent a great deal of their time, and money 
too, in making experiments with them for finding out the best 
possible means of growing them to perfection. We also find that 
as a rule if they do make any new discoveries they are always 
ready to impart the knowledge they have worked so hard for to 
the benefit of their fellow men ; but I think the time is coming 
when we must have a better means for making scientific research 
than the present haphazard one.—W. S. E. 
[Very readily shall we afford space for records of experiments 
and successful practice in combating the destructive enemy of one 
of our most useful food crops. One of the simplest methods we 
have found of mastering the maggot is to sow ordinary so-called 
spring Onions in the autumn, mulch the ground in the spring 
with spent hops, and spray the plants a few times in the evening 
with soapsuds and petroleum as the fly emerges for the depo¬ 
sition of eggs. Experiments with Onions have been conducted 
in Somersetshire, and we expect to receive a report in due course 
in the meantime we shall be glad to hear what our readers have 
to say on mastering the Onion maggot.] 
PLANTING YOUNG VINES. 
It is important that Vines to make good progress should be 
properly planted. A little trouble spent in doing the work well is 
more than repaid by the superior crops of fruit obtained. Hasty 
and improper planting is conducive to failure. Vines are expected 
to last at least fifteen years in good condition, indeed double that 
period is not considered too long, provided the crops of fruic 
annually taken from them are satisfactory. Nowadays there is 
such a rage for large bunches of Grapes that many Vines are 
renewed long before they are actually worn out. No hard and fast 
date can be named when Vines should be planted ; so long as the 
work is executed before the new shoots burst into leaf no harm is 
done. Many Vines are planted with new growths a couple of feet 
long, but these are Vines raised from eyes duiing the current yea-, 
the roots of which are not parted from the soil as in the case of 
planting canes that are a year old. As a rule the present is a good 
time for planting where the border is inside the house. If 
Vines are planted in February the border ought to have been made 
at least a month, preftrably two months. Allow time for the soil 
to settle down near its finished level. The soil on the top of the 
new border should be made firm, but not trodden if it is in a wet 
state, or it will be in a close sodden condition, not favourable to 
the quick rooting of the Vines. 
The best Vines for planting are those raised from eyes the 
previous year, restricted to one stem during the summer, and 
thoroughly ripened under full exposure to light and air in the 
autumn, finally standing them out of doors at the foot of a south 
wall to complete their maturation. In such a position the Vines 
may remain until required for planting, provided the roots are safe 
from frost by covering the pots with stable litter or leaves. At 
planting time the soil should be just moist, as in this state it leaves 
the roots bettor than being either dust dry or very wet. The 
No. 2370.—Voii XC., Old Selies, 
No. 714.—VoL. XXVIII., Third Series, 
