322 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
J ULY 27. 
ordinary lamp-glass than of a globe, because, when they 
are so compressed, there is, of necessity, a much larger 
piece cut away as waste at the bottom than when the 
bottom is of smaller dimensions. Now attention, ot 
lato years, has been directed that way, and Globe Onions 
have been in request where Onions were wanted; 
coupled with this, something has also been done to 
secure a better keeping article, which, by-the-by, has 
not been so easily done ; for the old Strasburgh Onion, 
which has always the perverse tendency of coming 
as a “ compressed Globe,” is, after all, the best keeping 
one we have; the Globe being, perhaps, the worst; 
but this keeps better than of yore, and, doubtless, 
by careful attention to the seed-saving bulbs, it may 
acquire as good a keeping qualification as any others. 
However, as my purpose was more to direct attention to 
the growing crop than to give directions to the “seed- 
grower,” it would be better just to look to the condition of 
the bed, in order to see what may yet be done to ensure 
the best crop and quality the season yet admits of. 
In the first place, taking for granted that the crop has 
been duly attended to in the thinning, weeding, hand- 
hoeing, and other work necessary to do, and that at the 
present time (the latter end of July) the crop exhibits 
that luxuriant appearance which is so easily distin¬ 
guished by the practiced eye of an experienced looker- 
on, and which is totally different from that gross and 
vigorous growth which betokens an article more re¬ 
sembling a Leek than an Onion; but supposing 
that the crop bo promising enough, and the season 
favourable, then little need be done until alter the lapse 
of another week or two. But supposing a damp, cold 
season keeps up a growth until the period for perfectly 
ripening the bulbs be absolutely gone ; in that case, or 
where there is reason to believe that to be the case, 
some measures must be taken to counteract it, and 
as these are simple and homely enough, their recital 
here is an easy matter; for by going over the beds and 
bending down the heads of all the Onions that do not 
seem disposed to lie down of themselves, a check is put 
to their growth, and the intention of nature, which is the 
ripening and hardening of a bulb capable of with¬ 
standing the severities of winter, is, to a certain extent, 
forwarded, and the Onion, by being partly bruised in the 
roots as well as the collar, the check is the more 
complete; but the setting-in of dry weather is the 
greatest boon; but as this is beyond control, wo must 
adopt what other means we can. 
Much may bo said of the diseases to which the Onion 
is liable, some of which are very injurious; and, in the 
different localities where grown, different names are 
given to them ; but the remedies are not so certain,—in 
fact, preventive measures are the only ones in this, as 
in many other garden productions, on which any reliance 
ought to bo put; and the best way to secure a crop is to 
sow it under such conditions as will best ensure its 
rapid growth. Certainly, there are some situations 
wherein this cannot well be accomplished, Nature not 
being so bountiful as could be wished for, and a cold, 
perverse, clayey soil has to bo operated upon, in this 
case, a plentiful supply of mortar-rubbish will effect a 
partial change, and the Onion is not averse to feed on 
such matters of which lime or chalk forms a conspicuous 
part. Other things might also be added; and be sure 
that the ground is not soddenod by the trampling 
necessary at sowing time; in such cases, it would be 
better to dig and sow the ground at the same time, sow¬ 
ing each row as the digging proceeded, so as not to have 
occasion to tread on the dug part at all. This can 
easily be accomplished, and if the ground turn up 
rough and unsuitable to receive the seed, a small 
quantity of a finer description might be brought, on 
which the seed-rows might bo formed. The quantity 
for this purpose is not much, and muoli benefit will be 
derived from it, for the rest of the ground being neces¬ 
sarily rough, it will have time to mellow down before it is 
wanted by the crop it is destined to support. This plan 
of sowing seeds is not confined to the Onion, but may 
be carried out with all others. 
In grounds of an opposite character, quite the reverse 
system must be adopted. In these the lightness of the 
soil must have a something done to tighteu or solidify 
it; this is done by adding duug, or other substances of 
a heavy or solid nature; and not a little is done by the 
liberal use of manure-water, which is the more necessary 
here, because such soils are generally dry and wanting 
moisture. But apart from this, heavy and successive 
rollings are necessary after the seed is sown, or, what 
answers the same purpose, a good treading-in, taking 
care to do it when the ground is not too wet; but this 
is only the case on very light soils when it absolutely 
rains ; for they have the aceommodaliug property of 
allowing work to be done at all seasons; as an exceeding 
dry one is very prejudicial to the well-being of the crop, 
water, in some shape, ought to be administered, and the 
result will be highly beneficial, although it is needless 
to say it will be more so if it be slightly mixed with 
some manorial substance. 
Although the end of July is lato to recover a crop of 
Onions, which, by previous neglect, or bad management, 
has been allowed to run into disorder, or become stunted, 
still, a something may be done when they are healthy. 
Thinning ought to be done without delay when wanted; 
and the vigorous habits of others curbed as may be 
required; besides which, it would be advisable to clear 
away all weeds and superfluities, but at the same time, 
be careful not needlessly to injure them. 
In the above, it will be seen that spring-sowing is 
recommended. In fact, I have never yet seen what may 
be called a sound, good Onion grown in any other way. 
They can be grown to a larger size by being partly 
forwarded the preceding autumn ; or when sown in a 
hotbed early in spring, and reared so far by artificial 
means, and then planted out, they can be had, perhaps, 
of a larger size than when sown and grown on the same 
plot of ground out-of-doors; still, they arc never so 
sound, firm, and solid, as the last-named, especially when 
the season and other things conspire to their well-being. 
I may also add, that one of their most favourite sub¬ 
stances to grow in, when mixed with good garden mould, 
is charcoal ashes ; which is also one of the best 
antidotes to disease. Lime is also useful that way, 
but not so useful as charcoal ashes; in fact, the latter 
has been found efficacious in securing a crop on grounds 
in which the grub and diseases abounded to such 
an extent as to render it hopeless sowing without this 
preventive. I need scarcely add that it is also highly 
valuable as a manure; but of that I am not so sanguine 
as many who wrote on the marvellous effect of charcoal 
applications to various horticultural purposes some ten 
or a dozen years ago ; but which was far from being a 
now invention; for charcoal-ashes have been used on 
Onion-beds, and to prevent the “club” in cabbage 
plants, for several generations, as I have been able to 
trace it, on tolerable accurate authority, for a century or 
more. However, I am wandering from my path, and 
my space reminds me that my allotted portion is fully 
occupied, that I must leave other matters relating to 
the Onion to another occasion. J. ltonsox. 
ALLOTMENT FARMING.— August. 
Oun readers who have attended well to our advice pre¬ 
viously given in these pages are in a position to exult over 
their crops in general. I can only say that the practice T 
have suggested is that pursued, in the main, by myself, and I 
have never, during an experience of some thirty to forty years, 
