1 May, 1898.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 349 
For those who cannot afford to buy it, or who have only small fields, I 
have made here, on the Experiment Farm, an exceedingly simple implement, 
which is within reach of the poorest farmer. It cuts clean and level with the 
ground, and lays the stuff evenly along the row, but, of course, does not bind 
it. With it a man with one horse can cut from 10 to 12 acres a day, effecting 
thus a still considerable saving of time and labour. 
ONION-GROWING ON THE NORTH COAST. 
By F. G PIGUENIT. 
As the time has arrived for sowing onions, it will not be out of place to give 
directions for preparing the land, sowing the seed, and after-cultivation of this 
valuable vegetable. There is no reason why the onion should not be grown to 
a large extent on the North Coast, but the chief thing the grower must aim at 
is to grow the varieties suited to the district, as, after repeated tests extending 
over a number of years, I find, that only two varieties, so far, have proved 
themselves adapted for our North Coast climate. 
All the favourite brown and yellow varieties are late, and will only give 
some 20 per cent. of inferior bulbs, the remaining 80 per cent being thick (or 
“bull necks), which are worthless. 
For onions to be a successful crop, financially and otherwise, on the North 
Coast, the first of the crop must be ready to harvest by the 1st of November, 
and the last should be off the ground by Christmas; it later, the crop is very 
liable to be entirely lost by excessive rains which usually fall at that season of 
the year. 
"The variety which has done so well with me is the Extra Early Barletta, 
a white onion, which grows to a very large size on the rich scrub lands of the 
North Coast. The weights of bulbs per acre for the past three years have 
been :—1895, 10 tons 6 ecwt.; 1896 (a very dry year), 5 tons 3 ewt.; 1897, 
12 tons 8 ewt.; the first two years the whole of the crop was transplanted out 
of seed beds, but the third year the seed was sown in drills with a Planet 
Junior combined drill, then thinned out to about 6 inches apart. Although 
the white onions do not sell as well as the’ coloured ones in the Brisbane 
market, it being such a heavy cropper, it pays to grow. 
SOIL. 
The most suitable soil for onions is a rich light loam (it cannot be too 
rich), if possible overlaying a subsoil of gravel, as the onion wil! not stand 
stagnant water at its roots. It isa fairly deep rooter, sending its roots down 
to quite 15 inches. When the soil is heavy loam, the onions will be quite a 
month later in ripening, but will be much firmer than those grown on the 
lighter soil, and more suitable for carrying a distance. The best aspect is one 
that is sheltered from the westerly winds, and that gets the morning sun early. 
PREPARING THE SOIL. 
Plough the land deeply to quite 15 inches, 18 inches not being too much. 
The best way to do this is to double plough it by going twice in the same 
furrow. Then harrow well; roll so as to break all clods; then let it lie, say, 
a month, to let any weed seeds there may be in the soil come up; then rake’ 
it up with a horsehoe to the depth of 6 inches; harrow down level, and work 
the ground until itis as fine as flour. Iinally roll down, so as to ensure a 
firm seed bed, and then sow the seed. The land must be free of weeds, as the 
onion, of all vegetables, will be a failure in dirty ground. 
SEED AND SOWING, 
In the first place, take great care to see that your seed is reliable, and of 
the suitable varieties for the district—viz., Extra Early Barletta and Harly 
Flat Red. In sowing it is best to use a Planet Junior combined drill, and 
