July 4, 1903. 
THE GARDENING WORLD, 
V 
NOVEMBER—(continued). 
Chrysanthemum Show (two 
days). Leicester Fruit and 
Chrysanthemum Exhibition 
(two days). Stockport Chry¬ 
santhemum Show (two days). 
Sheffield Chrysanthemum 
Show (two days). Bradford 
and District Chrysanthemum 
Show (two days). 
14th.—Burton-on-Trent and Shob- 
nall Chrysanthemum Show. 
17th.—Belfast Chrysanthemum 
Show (two days). West 
Hartlepool Chrysanthemum 
Show. 
18th.—Ancient Society of York 
Florists’ Chrysanthemum 
Show (three days). Hull 
Chrysanthemum Show (two 
days). 
19th.—Barnsley Chrysanthemum 
Show (two days). Edinburgh 
Chrysanthemum Show (three 
days). Manchester Chrysan¬ 
themum Show (three days). 
Norwich Chrysanthemum 
Show (three days). 
20th.-—Bolton Chrysanthemum 
Show. Aberdeen Chrysanthe¬ 
mum Show (two days). 
24th.—R.H.S. Committees. 
25th.—South Shields Chrysanthe¬ 
mum Show (two days). 
DECEMBER. 
2 nd.—National Chrysanthemum 
Society’s Exhibition (two 
days). 
5th.—French Horticultural So¬ 
ciety of London meet. 
10th.—National Rose Society's 
Annual General Meeting and 
Dinner. 
14th.—National Chrysanthemum 
Society Committees meet. 
15th.—R.H.S. Committees. 
Up-to-date Onion Growing in America. 
Does Onion growing pay ? There can only be one answer 
to tile question, and that a perusal of the official figures of Onion 
importations will afford—one hundred and twelve thousand nve 
hundred and fifty-seven bushels in one week. 
Were it -impossible to grow good Onions in this country the 
matter would be excusable, but it is far from being so. 
Not a great number of years ago America imported more Onions 
than she grew, but the foreigner is getting more and more 
hustled, exactly in the same manner as is the foreign Orange. 
The aim of the up-to-date American is to get his bulbs in the 
market before the general influx, and by so doing procure the 
highest prices. 
But earlines-s is not his only aim. Quantity and quality are 
features he has in mind, and at the present time it is not con- 
sicleied remarkable to pull upwards of 1,000 bushels from an acre 
of ground. 
When these bulbs are fine in quality and are brought in early, 
-SI per bushel is not an unusual price, thereby securing the cul¬ 
tivator $ 1,000 per acre, a figure that can only be beaten by 
Celery growing. To obtain such results there is only one tiling 
needful, and that is work. I here will endeavour to describe how 
a big trade grower works. His ideal Onion soil is sandy, with 
sub-irrigation, but loam will give great results if tended well. A 
wet soil should be drained, and if not previously cultivated two 
seasons should be devoted to some other crop ere planting with 
For this purpose clover should be sown, and after cutting the 
roots and what growth is after-wards made should remain. 
Half-rotted manure applied in the autumn and turned in in 
-eaily spring. Some high-feeding crop is then planted, and when 
cleared more manure added ; with spring ploughing the soil is 
ready for Onions. 6 & 
Manure is used without stint, whether it be stable, cow, pier, 0 r 
poultry, and if the soil lacks humus, nothing less than 60°tons 
per acre is applied. 
Spring ploughing is usually adopted, followed by deep cutting 
narrows. A dressing of wood ashes is then applied ; these lack¬ 
ing, one ton of superphosphate is substituted. Nitrate of soda 
is never omitted, this being applied at the rate of 751b. per acre, 
me Hist application being made at planting time, followed bv two 
•successive similar quantities. 
On a mellow soil an ordinary smoothing harrow fines down the 
sou alter it has been worked by a deep cutter or disc harrow, 
-von a plant goes m until the surface is perfectly smooth. 
xr a ~„i 1 " _e f* ea ^ime seed is sown, say middle of February or 
N- n ° t ^doors, but in frames or houses where there is a 
sn m heat If they come up too thickly thinning is resorted to. 
Fardenin CT nt off are t0 ° ut by the beginning of May after 
small W re< iui res over 150,000 seedlings, and to do this work 
a rla! f 7 f! e . el ^ ployed ’ w bo, when used to it. transplant 2,000 
pla£; nc i they r n eceive 50 cents (2s. Id.) per day. In some 
The io TOrk ’ an expert § ettin ? in 6,000 to 8,000 daily. 
The rows ai - 6 2 m \ ap art, with 2 in. to 3in. from plant to plant, 
lows aie previously marked by a push or draw marker, 
making three or four lines at a time. An ordinary wooden dibber 
is generally used for planting. 
The plants which are drawn from the seed beds are 
straightened out in bundles, and the long roots clipped off 
evenly, also the tops. 
The young bulbs are placed one inch under ground, care being 
taken that the roots are correctly placed. \\ ith planting over, 
work commences in deadly earnest. 
Weeds are the greatest enemies in an Onion patch, and a few 
days after the plants are in the “ Planet ” wheel hoe is at work, 
which clears two rows at a time. 
Even with this instrument hand-weeding is necessary to clear 
away weeds from between the plants. 
Indeed, as the Onions grow the tops occupy so much space 
that hand-hoeing can only be resorted to. 
Once weeds are allowed to get a hold profitable Onion growing 
becomes merely a vision. Not only does constant surface stirring 
keep down weeds, but it saves much labour in irrigating. 
In a climate where there is a fair average rainfall no difficulty 
is experienced, but first-clas-s Onion farms are always provided 
with means to supply water either by surface flooding or by sub¬ 
irrigation with underground pipes. The plan of rolling down the 
tops is not practised. 
Harvesting commences immediately the bulbs are ready, even 
if the tops are perfectly green. A slight delay, especially in a 
wet season, will start the plants in growth, and bad-keeping thick¬ 
necked bulbs result. The roots are qiulled by seizing hold of 
the bulb, and laid in rows as drawn, where they remain until 
cured, generally about a week. 
In gathering they are placed in crates and immediately laid 
on the floor of a loft or barn or special curing sheds. The tops 
and roots are then twisted off as quickly as possible, and packed 
in ventilated barrels or crates, after being graded as to size by a 
sorter. The majority of the roots average lib. to lglb. in weight, 
so that when sent to market in August and September they find a 
ready sale. 
One of the most popular varieties for market is the Danvers in 
its three- forms—Yellow, Round, and Globe. 
In flavour these onions are as mild as the imported Spanish, 
which will eventually get beaten out of the market. 
In conclusion, the estimate of an expert grower may be of 
interest. 
Taking an acre of land with a- rental of $ 6 , the total expendi¬ 
ture to produce 1.000 bushels of Onions is about $295. After 
packing, freightage, commission, etc., the grower receives $800 
dollars, giving him a net profit of $505, or over £ 100 . 
With the old method of sowing outdoors the expenditure was 
$191, the crop realising $360, giving a net profit of onlv 
$168, or about- £36. 
Of course, it may not be possible to get such good prices here, 
but as tile-imported Spanish retail at 71b. for 6 d., or about, Id. 
per lb., which means something like 4s. or more per bushel retail. 
A bushel of Onions in America averages from 501b. to 571b 
according to the State they are sent for market. Cal. 
Hymenocallis Amancaes. 
The only member of the large sta-minal cuped, sub-genus 
Ismene, having a yellow colour. It- is nearly hardy, only re- 
quiring frame protection, and especially in colour meritino- in¬ 
clusion a-s a greenhouse plant. The peduncle-, which arises to 
a height of about 2 ft., produces five to six sessile or very 
shortly-pedicellated flowers, having a greenish-yellow tube 3 in. 
long, an o-bconic bright yellow cup, and linear segments about 
2 in. long of the same colour. Native of Peru. 
Oncidium divaricatum. 
One of the first Brazilian Oncids to be cultivated in Britain, 
and likewise one of the most tractable under cultivation. 
Though the individual flower is small, about 1 in. across, 
chestnut-brown, with an apical golden blotch on the segments, 
yet so profusely are they produced on peduncles 2 ft, and up¬ 
wards- long that they are graceful and effective. The plant- is 
well adapted for suspending in small teak-wood baskets, where 
its flowers have an airy appearance. With another three 
species it forms a sub-section of this genus, characterised by 
the possession of a- cushion-like crest on the lip, whicli, in this 
species, is fo-ur-lobed—a. point, combined with the two- divari¬ 
cate lateral petals, of specific definition. 
