178 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
March 8, 1894. 
and small seeds moistened and coated with red lead, defy the 
rodents and the birds. Of the efficacy of this practice I have 
abundant confirmation, and no net has been found necessary to 
insure an abundance of plants for the requisite crops. 
Seeds will germinate at considerable depth, but, as a rule, the 
diameter of any seed is sufficient depth for it to be covered with 
fine mould. Yet we sow Peas 2 or 3 inches deep. Beans an inch 
or two deeper, and other seeds correspondingly according to size. To 
secure to them the requisite conditions of uniform moisture without 
depriving them of air and warmth, seeds, as a rule, require to be 
sown deeper in light than in heavy soils, and they take more time 
in the latter for germination than in the former. Apart from 
these considerations the less deeply seeds are sown the better, 
always provided the soil is compact and uniformly moist. 
There is a difference of opinion as to the distribution of the 
seed. Some advise thin sowing ; it has the advantage of economy, 
and of securing a sturdy plant, giving it plenty of light from the 
start ; but it has the disadvantage that if any of the seeds fail, or 
the seedlings are destroyed, the crop is a thin, patchy one, and the 
season may be lost by having to sow over again. There is no 
reason why either one or the other extreme of thin or thick 
sowing should be practised, for the sower of a fair quantity of seed 
steers clear of the disadvantages of both, and has a margin for 
contingencies both ways—the loss of seedlings, while having a 
choice of the best plants in thinning to remain for the crop.— 
Gr. Abbev. 
MASTERING THE ONION MAGGOT, 
On page 159 of last week’s Journal of Horticulture “ W. S. E.” 
asks how he may battle successfully with the Onion maggot, and 
the editorial footnote, inviting correspondents to detail their 
experience in the matter, serves to show the importance of the 
subject. The remedy or rather preventive which I am going to 
recommend is as simple as I have proved it to be effective for 
nearly quarter of a century, namely, soot. I am a strong believer 
in the efficacy of soot, not only as a purifier and fertiliser of the 
soil, but especially as a means of ridding the latter of all maggots 
and other creatures injurious to underground growth, and rendering 
it distasteful to the establishment therein of fresh colonies. 
My Onion crop always follows Celery, and is sown as early in 
February or March as the ground is in suitable condition for 
working. The Celery is taken up and laid in the soil the same 
depth as before in a north border. The ground is then levelled, 
dug a full spit deep, and trodden over, afterwards spreading on a 
good surface-dressing of soot, say sufficient to well discolour the 
ground, and incorporating it with the soil with a coarse rake before 
drawing the drills; these are about 1 inch deep and 1 foot asunder, 
and running north and south. The seed is sown thinly, the soil 
closed in and raked over in the same direction as the drills. Thus 
treated I have never had my Onion crop attacked by the maggot 
resulting from the Onion-fly (Anthomyia ceparum) or any other 
kind of insect. 
I use soot in the manner indicated and with the same results 
every year for Turnips, Carrots, Parsnips, and plantations of Lettuce 
and Parsley plants. I also dip the roots of Cabbage plants. Cauli¬ 
flowers, Broccolis, Brussels Sprouts, Savoys, and Borecoles in a 
stiff “ puddle ” into which a double handful of soot had been 
stirred, with the object of rendering the roots distasteful to the 
attacks of grubs, with the most satisfactory results. I have at 
various times advocated the use of soot for the crops referred to, 
especially the Onion crop, and have had the satisfaction of both 
hearing from and reading of those who had followed my advice 
being rewarded with complete success. All the soot made at this 
establishment is used in the gardens. I am strongly of opinion 
that very few insects are to be found in sweet fertile soil, and I am 
quite certain that maggots are to be found in plenty in ground 
rendered foul by heavy dressings of rank farmyard manure, 
ploughed or dug into the ground a short time before sowing or 
planting. 
As soon as the Onion plants are large enough to get hold of 
they are thinned, and any blanks made good with the thinnings, 
dibbing them into the soil the same depth as they were in it before, 
and pressing the soil about them, doing the work if possible in 
showery weather. From the time the plants appear and until they 
have nearly completed their growth, the soil is periodically stirred 
to a depth of 1 or 2 inches with the Dutch hoe two or three times 
in the course of five or six weeks, with the double object of 
accelerating growth and destroying seedling weeds. Last week I 
availed myself of the first opportunity that offered this season to 
get my Onion crop in, the ground being in good condition for doing 
the work.—H. W. Ward, Longford Castle. 
My experience with this pest points to preventive rather than 
remedial measures. The nostrums usually recommended, such as 
frequent sowings of soot, solutions of nitrate of soda, and a mixture 
of softsoap and petroleum, are all useful from a manorial point of 
view, stimulating the plants, and thus enabling them to overcome, 
to a certain extent, the evil effects of the maggot, and the same 
may be said of frequent drenchings of liquid manure from the 
farm. If, however, the maggot once gets a strong footing, none 
of these agents can be used sufficiently strong to destroy it 
without, at the same time, destroying the plants. I found years 
ago that when the weather was sufficiently dry to enable me to 
sow my Onion seed early in February, and the plants met with 
no serious check from bad weather afterwards, that they were 
seldom attacked by the maggot, whilst those sown a month later 
generally became a prey to the pest. This led me to adopt the 
plan in general practice for producing exhibition bulbs—viz., that of 
sowing the seed from the middle to the end of January in boxes 
or seed pans, and placing them in cold frames or some position with 
plenty of light in a temperature of about 40°. With this treat¬ 
ment the plants are sturdy and ready to transfer to beds prepared 
in the usual way for seeds early in April. For the past six 
years I have secured grand crops free from the maggot by adopting 
the simple practice indicated. 
As a farther demonstration that early raised plants is the secret 
of escape from maggots, I may say that every season we sow a 
few rows of seeds in the ordinary way by the side of the trans¬ 
planted ones, and these are invariably infested with the enemy. 
Last season, when nearly all Onions around us were destroyed, we 
had a splendid crop of fine shaped bulbs, weighing from 4 ozs. to 
8 ozs. each, with scarcely any neck and entirely free from maggot. 
They were ripe and cleared off early in August, and the ground 
planted with Strawberries. This early ripening is of great advan¬ 
tage, the bulbs always keeping better than when they continue 
growing until late in the season, and is the result of early sowing 
and transplanting. We expose the bulbs for a month to the sun, 
spreading them on shutters, and as a result we have at present a 
good supply of Onions as sound as when first harvested. With the 
exception of Silver Skin for pickling we only grow two varieties— 
Veitch’s Maincrop and James’ Keeping. They are planted 
12 inches by 8 apart, only just burying the roots, so that the future 
bulb will be almost entirely on the surface. 
All who have paid the least attention to insect life must often 
be struck with the wonderful sagacity insects seem to exhibit; hence 
I would venture to suggest that when the Onion fly visits these 
strong early plants for the purpose of laying her eggs she may have 
a suspicion that the newly hatched tender larvae will be unable to 
penetrate their skins, which would be much tougher because older, 
and not buried so deeply in the soil as those of plants sown in the 
ordinary way. Or it may be the fly does lay her eggs on the 
strong in common with the weaker plants, but may perish through 
being unable to effect an entrance through the stronger walls of 
the early raised plants. The latter remarks must be taken for 
what they are worth, and may be verified by those who have more 
time to give to the subject than I have, but they are the only 
explanation I can offer for the fact that, while the early raised, 
transplanted Onions entirely escape, those sown in the ordinary way 
on the same plot are always more or less severely attacked by the 
Onion maggot.—J. H. W., Leicester Frith. 
I WAS very pleased indeed to see an appeal for “ mastering the 
Onion maggot.” Now, perhaps, we shall find a way to conquer this 
pest. I have found the following practice effectual to eradicate 
the Onion maggot. In the autumn procure a quantity of gas lime, 
and spread it on the ground intended for Onions, about 1 inch 
thick ; dig it in and leave it as rough as possible for the frost to 
penetrate. Then when preparing the bed give a good dressing of 
soot and salt. This treatment I have found answer admirably.— 
C. Bellwood. 
About fourteen years ago I found my early Carrots failing 
when they were about the size of my finger, also rows of Parsley, 
and likewise the Onions when they were 6 or 8 inches high. 
Maggots were the cause of the failure. I was advised to apply 
gas lime to the ground about one month before sowing the seed, 
and I have found it to answer well for Onions, Carrots, and 
Parsley 
