CULTIVATION OF ONIONS,—-NO. 2, 
141 
plow share with a point longer, and more gradual 
in its rise, than that in common use,’ 1 &c. In the 
specification of his patent of 1819, he had grown 
bolder and more exacting, and then had the assu¬ 
rance to claim, as an original invention , u the mak¬ 
ing, or constructing of a narrow, light, removable 
cutting-edge, or share of cast iron, by casting the 
same in mould, instead of the old-fashioned, large,, 
heavy plow share, wrought and steeled, or other¬ 
wise fabricated. 51 
What assurance! To claim as a new invention, 
what had been known and in common use in Great 
Britain, thirty-five years before the date of this 
patent, and in this country, upwards of twenty 
years1 
Mr. Farrelly’s excellent report completely re¬ 
futes Jethro Wood’s claim as the original inventor 
of the cast-iron share, as well as everything else of 
any importance, specified and claimed in his patent. 
We earnestly entreat our cotemporaries to obtain 
this report, and also to look over what we have said 
on this subject, and then make use of the facts for 
the benefit of their readers. They will find them 
in the various British Encyclopaedias, in Allen 
Ransom’s work on the Implements of Agriculture, 
recently published in London, and also in various 
other British works on agriculture and implements. 
We do not ask them to give us any credit in 
this matter, but to look into the above publications 
themselves, and set forth the facts in a strong 
light in their own way. We think the agricultu¬ 
ral periodical will fail in its duty to its readers, that 
does not immediately publish the facts of this 
case. 
CULTIVATION OF ONIONS.—No. 2. 
The most famous place in the United States for 
the culture of onions, is Weathersfield, on the Con¬ 
necticut River. Here large tracts have been de¬ 
voted to the production of this root for upwards of 
a century, and with many families it is still their 
sole occupation. The soil here, is peculiarly well 
adapted to its growth, being a rich, dry, gravelly or 
sandy loam. In the month of June last, we visited 
Weathersfield, for the express purpose of learning 
the best method of onion culture, which we here 
give in full, together with such suggestions as we 
think will be beneficial to the growers of this crop. 
Preparation of the Land .—As long manure is full 
of seeds, and is somewhat in the way of good after 
culture, well rotted barn-yard manure is usually 
resorted to as a fertilizer. This is. spread broad¬ 
cast upon the land, and plowed in, from three to six 
inches deep, according to the nature of the soil. It 
Is a settled maxim not to turn up deeper than the 
rich top soil penetrates. The onion being a shal¬ 
low growing root, deep plowing is not requisite. 
In our own experience in raising onions, we found 
hog manure the best fertilizer we ever used. Gua¬ 
no was not then known among us ) but we think it 
would be admirable for this purpose, as it contains 
nearly all the elements that onions want for their 
growth, and it is perfectly free from the seeds of 
weeds. It should be harrowed, and not plowed in, 
as early in the spring as possible, and immediately 
after plowing. 
After harrowing, the ground is raked thoroughly 
'With a fine iron-toothed rake till every clod is finely 
pulverized. This, we think, could be done much 
more rapidly with a field roller, and a fine-set horse 
harrow. 
At Weathersfield, they use from 8 to 10 lbs. of 
seed per acre, which is sown by hand, in drills, from 
12 to 14 inches apart. Seed sowers would doubt¬ 
less do the work cheaper, and more rapidly. They 
begin to sow as early in the spring as the ground 
can be prepared ; say, from the last of March to 
the middle of April. As soon as the plants are up, 
the weeding is commenced, and in the course of the 
season they receive from four to six hoeings, and 
more, if necessary, to keep down the weeds. The 
hand cultivator would be an excellent substitute for 
this operation, as a single person could do more 
with it, in stirring the earth and cutting up the 
weeds, than four men could do with hoes. 
Harvestings fyc .—In wet seasons, and sometimes 
from late sowings, onions are liable to grow thick¬ 
necked. In such cases, they should be gently bent 
down with the head of a wooden rake, which wall 
check their rapid growth, and' cause them sooner to 
come to maturity. 
By the latter end of July, or early in August, 
the onions, in general, will have arrived at their 
full growth, which may be known by the shrink¬ 
ing of their stalks, or leaves. At this period of 
their growth, the harvesting is commenced and con¬ 
tinued until October. They are then pulled up in 
dry weather, spread on a clean, firm plot of ground, 
and occasionally turned, in order to dry and harden 
by the sun. They are then cleared from rubbish 
and removed to a place of shelter, after which they 
are plaited into ropes, with straw, weighing 3| lbs. 
each. 
The yield, at Weathersfield, is from 6,000 to 
10,000 ropes per i>:re, which is equivalent to from 
400 to 600 bushels, according to the size of thp 
bulbs. For the last four years, onions, in the New 
York markets, have been quite cheap, the average 
wholesale price having been but about $2 per hun¬ 
dred ropes, delivered at the wharves. 
The following calculations are based on the state¬ 
ment of the most experienced cultivators of the 
onion in Connecticut, and may be relied upon as 
correct: — 
Cost of manuring one acre, . . . $20 
Plowing and harrowing, .... 4 
10 lbs. of seed,. 5 
Sowing, ......... 1 
Raking and making drills, ... 4 
Hoeing and weeding,.24 
Harvesting,.10 
Carting from field to barn, for roping, 5 
Roping $14 to $18—say, .... 16 
Carting to vessel, ...... 5 
If the crop were 6,000 ropes, at the average price 
of $2 per hundred ropes, it would amount to 
$120. If the yield were 10,000 ropes, it would 
amount to $200 ; making the profit per acre, of 
the former $26, and the latter $106. 
We were shown a large field in Weathersfield, 
where onions had been grown every year, without 
any other intermediate crop, for upwards of a cen¬ 
tury, with no apparent diminution in the yield. This 
