1 Mar., 1898.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 177 
ONIONS AND ONION-GROWING. 
By A. J. BOYD. 
As the time approaches for preparing for an onion crop, it will not be out of place 
to give directions for sowing the seed and for the after cultivation of this most 
valuable vegetable. There is no reason why onions should be imported in such 
quantities as we see daily arriving by steamer from the southern colonies. The 
climate here is perfectly adapted to them, and, if only planted on suitable soil 
and given the necessary attention, heavy crops are an almost certain result. 
At one time it used to be said that onions could not be profitably grown as a 
field crop in the Blenheim district, near Laidley. ‘To disprove this, the writer 
determined to experiment on the sandy loam of the scrub land on Sandy Creek. 
The seed was sown in April; the variety, Brown Spanish. The land to which 
they were to be transplanted was well worked and then rojled to make a hard 
compact bed. Transplanting was carried on throughout July, and the season 
having proved favourable the result was a heavy crop of magnificent bulbs, 
which gave a splendid return for the labour expended. Now, if such a result 
can be obtained by one farmer, it follows that others cando the same. As there 
are thousands of acres of similar land under cultivation both there and in many 
other portions of the colony, it only requires determination on the part of the 
farmers to enable them to successfully displace the importations from the 
south. 
On looking over an old diary of farm operations, it appears that the writer’s 
crops averaged 6 tons per acre, and was sold at £25 per ton. Are there 
many crops which will give a like return? The present price of onions in the 
market is £6 per ton. Now, suppose a crop to yield 8 tons per acre (and we 
know that double that return has been made), the cash return for a medium 
crop will amount to £48. Certainly there is a considerable amount of labour 
involved in planting out an acre or two of onions, but that labour is amply 
compensated for by the net returns. 
A consideration of the following notes, based on practical experience, may, 
therefore, be of some gervice. Let us first consider 
THE SOIL. 
The most suitable soil for onions is a rich sandy loam, such as that of the 
Blenheim scrubs—free, friable, and easy to work, a soil that will not cake, and 
not lying so low as to retain the superabundant moisture after heavy rains. 
Tn such a case the land should be well drained. An eastern or south-eastern 
aspect has been proved to be better than if the land sloped to the west, as the 
onion does not require intense heat to bring it to perfection. 
Before sowing the seed, it is important that the seed beds should be 
elear of weeds and of their fallen seeds. By sowing in April or May, there is 
not much to fear from weeds; still it is advisable that the land, both of the 
seed beds and of the area proposed to be planted out, should be turned up and 
exposed to the weather for some time previous to sowing. As soon as the 
weeds appear, give the land a good scuffling, and if this be done two or three 
times between February and April there will be no trouble afterwards. If the 
soil be not virgin scrub, or if it has borne crops tor many years in succession 
without manuring, it should be thoroughly well manured with stable dung, 
ashes, bonedust, &c., as the onion demands plenty and the best of nourish- 
ment. New scrub land is rich enough in natural fertilisers not to require 
any addition of manure. 
PREPARING THE SOIL. 
In planting out onions a very serious mistake is often made, and that is, 
the soil is carefully worked, reduced to a fine tilth, and the plants are set out 
in a soil which is loosened to a depth of perhaps 8 inches. From land 
