August  IJ,  1955, 
JdUn^\\L  OP  HORTWPLTUnP  ANT)  COTPAGP  OAnDEKEll. 
147 
they  doing  well  on  ground  that  has  been  manured  for  the  preceding 
crops,  inch  as  early  Potatoes.  The  ground  then  has  a  good  surface 
tilth,  it  being  a  mistake  to  stir  it  deeply  for  this  crop,  as  the  firmer 
the  soil,  consistent  with  the  free  passage  through  and  from  the  soil 
of  rain,  the  more  likely  are  the  plants  to  pass  safely  through  the 
winter  and  to  form  fibrous  roots,  lifting  and  transplanting  well  in 
early  spring.  If  manure  must  be  used  let  it  be  thoroughly  decom¬ 
pose,  and  mix  it  by  means  of  digging  with  a  fork  to  about  the 
depth  of  the  tiues  of  the  implement.  If  stirred  to  ordinary 
digging  depth  it  in  advisable  to  firm  the  surface  by  treading  before 
sowing  ;  even  when  moved  to  a  depth  of  6  or  8  inches  a  firm  sur¬ 
face  is  imperative.  A  dressing  of  dissolved  bones  and  kainit  in 
equal  parts,  and  3^  to  4  lbs.  per  rod,  is  a  suitable  application  before 
sowing  the  seed .  Soot  one  part  and  air-slaked  chalk  lime  two  parts, 
mixed,  is  better  for  rather  strong  soils,  using  a  stone  (14  lbs.)  per 
rod. 
The  seed  for  raising  plants  to  transplant  in  the  spring  should 
not  be  sown  too  early,  as  when  the  plants  get  strong  before  winter 
there  is  not  only  danger  of  severe  weather  doing  them  much  harm, 
but  of  many  running  to  seed  the  folio '^ing  season,  which  ruins  the 
bulbing  process,  and  the  crop  is  indiffarent  in  proportion.  About 
the  10th  of  Augn^t  is  the  time  most  suitable  in  the  north  of 
England,  and  a  south,  south-east,  or  south-west  border  desirable, 
not  necessarily  near  the  wall,  but  on  the  part  3  feet  or  more  from 
it.  For  bulbing  where  sown  the  seed  may  be  sov^^n  in  drills  1  foot 
apart,  and  the  quantity  sufficient  to  give  plants  about  an  inch  apart, 
due  allowance  being  made  for  casualties,  for  it  is  always  easier  to 
thin  a  crop  than  to  make  gaps  up.  This,  in  a  somewhat  wide  drill, 
will  give  enough  Onions  for  drawing  young  equal  to  the  wants 
of  most  establishments  ;  then,  the  thinning  going  on  steadily, 
they  will  stand  3  inches  apart  when  commencing  to  bulb,  and  every 
other  Onion  being  drawn  whilst  bulbing  the  rest  will  be  6  inches 
a  )art,  which  gives  sufficient  room  for  the  bulbs  to  perfect,  they 
g:^tting  large  enough  if  top-dressed  with  about  1|^  lb.  nitrate  of 
BDda  when  the  bulbs  have  f^irly  commenced  forming.  The  nitrate 
should  be  fioelv  powdered,  and  not  more  than  the  amount  named 
supplied  per  square  rod,  applying  when  the  plants  are  quite  dry, 
but  the  ground  moist.  The  nitrate  of  soda  also  tends  to  prevent 
running  to  seed.  This  is  frequently  a  consequence  of  old  seed 
being  sown,  or  also  of  too  early  sowing  of  freshly  saved. 
In  the  south  of  England  seed -so  wing  should  not  be  deferred 
beyond  the  middle  of  August  to  20ch,  for  it  is  necessary  that  the 
plants  get  a  good  hold  of  the  soil  before  winter,  otherwise  the 
frosts  may  lift  the  plants  out  of  the  ground  and  cutting  ofl!  their 
tender  growths.  To  guard  against  the  lifting  the  drills  should  be  a 
little  deeper,  but  not  much,  or  the  seeds  will  not  germinate  evenly, 
and  if  too  deep  not  at  all.  An  inch  is  a  proper  depth.  Early 
September  sowings  have  usually  come  to  grief  with  me,  either  the 
frosts  or  the  pescs  thriving  on  the  tender  plants  making  sad  work 
in  their  ranks. 
For  transplanting  the  drills  need  not  be  more  than  6  inches 
apart.  This  will  allow  of  a  small  hoe  being  run  through  the  rows, 
it  being  important  that  the  ground  be  kept  scrupulously  clean. 
This  is  all  the  attention  required  during  the  autumn  and  winter, 
it  being  better  to  thin  the  plants  than  allow  them  to  become 
crowded  in  the  autumn.  Transplanting  should  be  performed  in 
the  early  spring,  as  soon  as  the  frosts  of  winter  are  gone  and  the 
ground  in  good  working  order,  always  getting  the  plants  out  by  the 
time  the  spring  Ooions  are  sown.  For  general  purposes  the  rows 
may  be  1  foot  apart  and  the  plants  3  inches  asunder,  if  every  other 
plant  is  to  be  pulled  for  early  use.  Good  bulbs  can  be  had  at  this 
distance,  which  compare  favourably  with  the  finest  Spanish  Onions 
imported.  For  securing  large  bulbs  the  rows  may  be  15  inches  and 
the  plants  7^  inches  apart.  This  means  superior  produce,  but  it  is 
questionable  if  the  crop  is  as  heavv  or,  if  that,  as  useful  per  area. 
The  exhibition  specimens  are  had  b)  allowing  18  inches  between  the 
rows  and  9  inches  between  the  plant*  in  the  rows. 
In  the  process  of  transplanting  the  roots  should  be  preserved  as 
much  as  possible,  lifting  carefidly  with  a  trowel  or  hand-fork, 
little  trenches  being  made  and  the  roots  only  of  the  plants  placed 
therein,  firming  the  soil  well  about  them.  This  is  a  slower  process 
than  planting  by  the  dibber,  which,  of  course,  is  employed  in 
getting  out  large  breadths. 
The  situation  should  be  open,  but  it  is  best  sheltered  from 
strong  winds.  If  dripping  weather  is  chosen,  watering  will  not  be 
necessary ;  when  dry  weather  prevails  watering  to  settle  the  soil 
about  the  roots,  and  to  keep  them  from  succumbing  before  rain 
falls,  will  be  required  according  to  circumstances.  Wet  and  cold 
soil  is  not  favourable  to  Onions  rooting  quickly  and  well. 
The  land  should  be  in  good  heart,  either  well  manured  in  the 
autumn  or  following  a  crop  that  has  been  heavily  manured  and 
well  worked,  such  as  Celery  ground.  This,  levelled  and  made  firm, 
suits  Onions  to  perfection,  they  having  special  affinity  or  liking  for 
nmbelliferons  plants,  Parsley  being  an  excellent  associative  plant 
and  Celery  a  preceding  one.  A  dressing  of  mineral  superphosphate 
two  parts,  and  muriate  of  potash  one  part,  mixed,  applied  at  the 
rate  of  3  lbs.  per  rod  shortly  before  transplanting,  favours  the 
speedy  establishment  of  the  plants,  and  both  are  antagonistic  to  the 
enemies  of  Onions.  When  the  plants  get  hold  of  the  soil  a  light 
dressing  of  nitrate  of  soda  may  be  supplied,  about  i-  ib.  per  rod, 
mixed  with  three  times  the  quantity  of  native  guano.  After  the 
Onions  commence  bnlbing  the  dressing  of  nitrate  of  soda  may  be 
increased  to  1  lb.  per  rod,  applying  it  mixed  with  fine  earth  to 
insure  even  distribution.  The  dressing  may  be  repeated  once  or 
twice  at  intervals  of  about  three  weeks,  the  last  when  the  bulbs  are 
half  to  three-quarters  grown. 
The  weight  of  Onions  grown  by  feeding  with  nitrate  of  soda  is 
astounding,  especially  when  wood  ashes  are  applied  in  the  autumn, 
say  200  bushels  per  acre,  and  ploughed  I’ghtly  into  the  upper  soil  with 
a  light  dressing  of  very  short  farmyard  manure,  say  5  tons  per  acre, 
and  2  cwt.  each  of  mineral  or  bone  ash  superphosphate  and  basic  slag 
phosphate  applied  on  the  breaking  up  of  the  winter  frosts,  and 
when  in  working  order  harrowing  in.  When  the  plants  begin  to 
grow  after  they  are  set  apply  }  cwt.  nitrate  of  soda  per  acre,  in 
three  weeks  J  cwt.,  and  after  three  weeks  1  cwt.,  repeating  the 
latter  dressing  twice  at  similar  intervals. 
This  is  the  highest  fertilisation  of  which  I  have  knowledge,  but 
the  enormous  specimens  are  very  liable  to  decay  from  mould  much 
quicker  than  they  have  grown.  The  white  mould  attacks  the 
Onions  at  the  base,  and  they  rot  very  rapidly,  and  is  a  disease  of 
dronghty  rather  than  of  wet  seasons.  The  only  thing  that  seems  to 
be  of  any  permanent  use  against  it  preventively  is  quicklime.  I 
mention  this  parasite,  as  your  correspondents  advising  autumn- 
sown  instead  of  spring-sown  Onions,  with  a  view  to  escaping  the 
maggot,  do  not  take  cognisance  of  it,  or  of  the  generally  bad-keep¬ 
ing  properties  of  autumn-sown  under  the  best  of  circumstances. 
With  me  they  are  only  useful  for  summer,  and  at  most  early 
autumn  use.  Perhaps  there  is  some  art  in  keeping  these  mild 
Onions  from  decay  of  which  I  have  failed  to  either  see  or  find 
recorded.  All  I  know  is  that  mine  always  go  bad  in  the  late 
summer,  and  to  be  without  spring-sown  Bedfordshire  Champion 
and  similar  varieties  is  to  be  without  Onions  for  about  half  the 
year. 
It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  land  must  be  kept  free  from 
weeds,  and  when  the  Onions  cease  growing  the  tops  turn  yellow 
and  the  bulbs  pull  up  easily,  they  should  be  attended  to,  drying 
thoroughly  and  stored  where  they  can  get  plenty  of  air. 
— G.  Ahbey. 
HARDY  FLOWER  NOTES. 
Autumn  has  come,  and  the  ripened  corn  is  falling  to  the  reaper 
as  it  whirrs  through  the  fields.  Yellow  and  ripe  seems  the  graiu, 
and  ready  for  harvesting.  The  year’s  youth  with  its  brightness 
and  freshness  is  gone,  and  in  its  stead  there  have  come  the  signs  of 
age  and  decay.  Yet  this  season  is  what  we  have  not  only  looked 
for,  but  have  also  hoped  for.  But  for  the  ripened  seed  in  field  and 
garden,  what  would  become  of  us  ?  Exquisitely  beautiful  as  is 
the  blossom  of  the  fruit  trees  in  spring,  what  would  we  think  were 
no  fruit  to  follow  ?  So  do  we  think  as  we  see  blushing  Apples 
and  ruddy  Pears  ready  to  yield  up  their  ripe  and  delicious  substance 
to  please  onr  palates.  And  so  though  the  garden  of  hardy  perennial 
flowers  shows  that  its  season  of  highest  beauty  has  passed  away,  we 
realise  that  the  year’s  growth  ha*  fulfilled  its  purpose,  and  that  the 
plant  may  pass  to  its  winter’s  rest  leaving  with  us  sweet  recollection* 
of  its  grace  and  beauty. 
But  this  time  his  only  come  in  part,  and  there  are  many  blooms 
yet  to  give  pleasure.  The  Sunflowers  have  put  on  their  dresses  of 
cloth-of-gold,  and  make  the  places  where  they  stand  bright  with 
their  colouring.  We  who  know  the  Sunflower  in  our  gardens 
cannot  agree  with  the  fancy  of  the  poets,  who  tell  us  that  the 
flowers  follow  the  course  of  the  sun  ;  but  we  cannot  see  them 
without  thinking  of  the  beauty  of  such  lines  as  those  of  Swinburne, 
who  speaks  of  the  Sunflower, 
“  With  golden  eye  following  the  golden  eiin,  . 
From  rose-coloured  to  purple  pillowed  bed, 
From  birthplace  to  the  flarnelit  place  of  death.” 
Words  such  as  these  occur  to  us  as  we  look  at  the  great  discs  of  the 
annual  Sunflowers  in  some  garden,  or  at  the  smaller  but  no  less 
beautiful  ones  of  the  perennial  species. 
Yery  beautiful  are  the  latter,  and  among  them  none  is  more 
beautiful  than  the  one  known  by  the  cumbrous  name  of  Helianthos 
multifiorus  maximus,  whose  large,  exquisitely  coloured,  golden 
blooms  are  so  fine  ai  they  surmount  the  fresh  green  leaves  which 
clothe  the  stems  from  the  surface  of  the  soil  to  where  the  flowers 
begin.  A  noble  plant  is  this  greatest  many-flowered  Sunflower, 
growing  often  from  6  to  8  feet  high,  but  occasionally  found  towering 
