C^ l^ UC-NRLF 341 O O HOW TO RAISE THEM PROFITABLY. DETAILS OP EXPERIENCE, From the Selection ot Seed and Preparation of the ound, to Harvesting and Marketing the Crop. STATEMENTS OF SEVENTEEN PRACTICAL ONION GROWERS. Residing in different sections of the country, most of whom have been en- gaged from ten to thirty years in raising Onions largely for market, etc. ; to which is added an Illustrated Description of the Onion Ply SIXTEENTH THOUSAND. t Mew - York : PTJBT^ISHKD BY ORANGKE JTJDD & CO., 245 BROADWAY. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year I*-;''.*, by OUANGK JUDD. in the Clerk's Offixr .f the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New-York Range Shelf. /) Received , r PRACTICAL DETAILS, From the Selection and Preparation of the Soil, and Setting and Cultivation of the Plants, to Picking, Drying, Pressing, and Marketing the Crop. PLAIN DIRECTIONS. AS OIVRN I!T TKS Residing in the best Hop-Growing Sections in the United States, ILLUSTRATED WITH OVER FORTY ENGRAVINGS i ' New - York : * PUBLISHED BY ORANGK JTIDD & CO 245 Broadway. ~ Entered, according to Act of Contcreu. in the year 1865, liy OIKNUI Jfi>o. in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United State* for the Southern Diitrict of New-Vvrk. Hi ONION CULTURE. PRIZE ESSAYS. EXPLANATION. fTHE following articles were written in response to a PREMIUM offered by the Editor of the Ameriam Agriculturist (New- York,) " for the best pte practical directions on raising onions; to be written by an onion business and it is an important item is only acquired, as in every other department of labor, by practice. Therefore it is better for a new beginner in. the business to commence on a small scale. And let' no one delude himself with the idea of becoming suddenly; rich from raising onions. Patient, honest industry will here, as every where else, be rewarded, and when a good market is within a convenient distance, and. the soil suits, perhaps no crop pays better than onions- * Present price, $3.00, Jan. 25th 1859. HOW TO KAISE ONIONS. RAISING ONION SEED. As it is a law of nature that like produces like, it is of the utmost importance that great care should be taken to obtain seed that will pro- duce the most perfect specimens of its kind. This holds true in regard to onion seed, for it is a notorious fact, that this esculent has been improved in shape and col- or within a few years, from a flat turnip-shape and . pale red color, to nearly a round or spherical form, and a b right clear red. In saving onions for seed then, care should be taken to select those of the desired shape and color, and of medium size, or a little above it. The best time to do this is when they are pulled, as then the perfectly ripe ones are more easily distinguished, than when they are cured. Another advantage to be gained is, that the earliest may be reserved, in order to get an earlier crop, if desired, the next year. Onions intended for seed should be set out about the middle of April, or at the usual time of sowing. The ground should be pre- pared in the same manner as for the regular crops, and then laid out in drills about three feet apart, and four inches deep. In these drills the onions are to be placed, four or five inches apart, covered with fine dirt and gently pressed down with the feet, or hand r roller. As soon as they are well out of ground, they -should be gone through with a hoe or cultivator, and :the weeds kept down by occasionally hoeing the and weeding, until the seed is ripe. The writer has found that digging a trench between the rows, either with a spade or hoe, about tl.u time the seed is in blossom, and working the dirt thus dug out around the onion stalks, is beneficial. Care should be taken after the onions have blossomed, not to handle them, or disturb their roots. The seed matures about the same time that onions raised from the seed get ripe. The time for gathering is when the heads assume a brown color, and the balls begin to crack and show the seed. The heads should then be cut off and exposed to the sun on a blanket or floor, until the seed will readily shell; then by rub- bing with the hands, or threshing with a flail if a quantity is raised, the seed is made ready to be passed through a fanning-mill, or exposed to a winnowing process. After this is done, the seed should be put in a vessel of water, and only that which readily sinks is to be preserved. It is then dried in the sun for two or three days, and put away in a bag, in a dry, airy place, until wanted. Onion Seed should never be trusted after it is two years old. The price of seed varies as much as the price of the onions themselves, ranging from $1.00 to $5.00 per pound. The different varieties when planted for seed, should bo put at considerable distance apart, as the seed readily mixes. From three to five pounds of seed are usually raised from a bushel of onions. No. II. BY JOHN H. SHERWOOD, FAIRFIELD CO., CT. THE Onion -has become an important vegetable in our markets, and the demand is yearly increasing at prices which make their cultivation profitable. Large quantities of onions are produced in this vicinity, and I will offer a few remarks on their cultivation which I have derived from much experience and observation, trusting they -may be of advantage to those who wish to cultivate them. Experience will be found the best teacher, but' a few facts and general ideas put in print, will be a great help to new beginners. THE SOIL most congenial to them is a strong damp loam, and I think the crop is generally larger where a small quantity of clay exists in the soil. I have known large crops on quite stiff clay soil when the land is well under-drained. To have onions succeed well, the ground on which they are planted should have been cultivated at least two yearfc with some hoed crops, and highly manured for those crops. Commencing with grass land, the first crop might be corn, next year potatoes, or what is better, carrots, as potatoes are apt to rot with high manuring. My reason for cultivating two years before the onion crop, is, because the roots in the soil require that time to decay besides, the soil is so loose, that worms are apt to injure the onions, if not destroy most of the crop. The kind of onion usually grown here, is the red, and those are preferred which approach the nearest to a globe in shape, as the yield per acre is greater. The white, though better for the table, and command- ing near one third more in price, is but little cultivated, as the crop is seldom as large, and the care required in curing them, prevents their general cultivation. They are very liable to mildew and decay, which, be- ing conspicuous on their white skins, makes them less salable than the stronger red skins SEED. Nothing is of more importance in securing a good crop of onions, than having fresh new seed of the right kind, as many fail when they depend on imported seed, or that which is raised we know not where or how raised to sell, probably. Many men in this vi- cinity lost their crop last year from this cause, the fault being entirely in the seed, as that raised by them- selves or neighbors, planted side by side, did well EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICAL GROWERS. while seed obtained from a distance, in numerous in- stances, went to tops, or made "straight onions," as we call th'em. To grow good seed, select the globe-shaped bulbs of good size, in the fall put them in a dry cool place, but not where they will freeze much. Set them out as early as possible in spring, or as early in April as the ground can be worked. Set in good garden-soil, m rows three feet apart, and eight inche^ distant in the row cr to particularize, slightly ridge the land, and set tLe onions in the furrows, about four inches below thw level, and as as they grow, keep entirely free from weeds, and fill in the furrows from the ridge. The dwi helps to support them upright. Otherwise, as the seed-balls grow heavy, the wind rocks them about, and much of the seed is lost or injured by blasting. The seed-balls should be carefully cut when beginning to brown, and spread thin to prevent heating. When perfectly dry, thresh and winnow clean, then put into water. The good seed sinks, while the im- perfect will float, and should be skimmed off and thrown away. Care must be taken to dry thoroughly after removing it from the water. One bushel of good onions usually yields from three to five pounds of seed. LAND intended for onions should be nearly level, to prevent the heavy rains from washing it after the seed is sown. The onion is a gross feeder, and re- quires a liberal supply of manure, say from sixteen to twenty loads, of fifty bushels each, well-rotted manure per acre. I prefer manure from the hog-pen, but where large quantities are grown, all kinds are used, first fermenting it to destroy foul seeds as much as possible, and fit it to mix with the soil more easily and evenly. A dressing of ashes is very advantageous to the crop. To prepare the ground for onions, first clear the sur- face of all small stones above the size of a hen's egg, put on the manure, spread and plough to the depth of seven inches the first year. After that, plough somewhat deeper. The ploughing may be done in November, if you have many to plant, and wish to get them in early. Let the ground lie in the furrow until spring, and then spread on at least one hundred bushels of ashes to the acre. If no ashes are used, apply from cwo to three hundred pounds of guano, and harrow with iron teeth, if the ground was ploughed in the fall; otherwise use a plank frame, or a plank with brush set in, which will leave the land smoother for the hand- rake. As the bush-barrow will need some weight, about that of a man, I usually ride on it, and by change of position can throw my weight so as to fill up holes and leave the ground more even, which saves hand-labor. If you wish straight rows which look and work better stretch a line across your field to draw the seed-drill by, and by moving it up to the work, there will be no difficulty in keeping straight. The seed-drills used about here are very simple in con- struction costing about four dollars They drop two rows at a time, twelve inches apart, and one half-Jnch deep. These are covered by passing a hoe backward over the drill, or by the hand-rake drawn carefully parallel with the rows, which is the quickest way, a* t covers two rows at once. Four pounds of good seed are plenty for one acre. It should be planted as early in April as the ground will admit. Do not work it when wet, for it will be lumpy, and hard to cover the seed properly. When up enough to see the rows, hoe between them, with a hoe made expressly 'or that use. The blade of tjhe hoe should be eight nches in length and one and a half broad, with a ong crooked shank. Next comes the weeding. Have a small hoe made like the above, but one and a half inches in length, set in a handle six inches long. With this in one hand, get on your knees, and crawl over them, destroying all the weeds ; for if not well done at this time, the work will be hard the next. Second hoeing and weeding the same as first, but can be done faster. About this time, say the first of June, sow broad-cast one bushel of salt to the acre, such as is used for hay. This will prevent the cut- worm which is sometimes troublesome, and the salt, I hink, is a help to the crop. I can not say too much about keeping the weeds out, for no crop suffers more from weeds than onions. Keep the weeds out as long as you can creep over them. They usually require four hoeings and weeding.*, which will carry them into July. If there are weeds, get them out, even if the bulbs have begun to swell ; you can walk through them and pull them by hand. This is the time they are apt to be neglected, as tte haying season claims all the help. As they attain their growth, the tops loose their lively green color, grow weak above the bulb, and drop over. When they grow exactly right, they all fall down ; and when about two thirds dry, they are fit to pull. This is done by hand, cleaning of all weeds, to prevent the seed ripening. Spread the onions to wilt from two to four days, then pile about three bushels in- a heap to sweat. Let them stand in this way for some days, or until the tops are dried away. They are now fit for marketing in small quantities. If you wish to house them to keep, spread them again, and dry ; for if housed damp or green, they will grow and injure quickly. Great care is necessary to cure them properly. They should be dried until no juice will ooze from the tops when twisted by the hand. They will require turning two or more times tc bring them to this state, then cart them before the der falls at night. When in the house, they should hat free circulation of air about them, until freezin v weather, and then be protected from extreme cold, though they bear some freezing, and do not generally injure if let alone until the frost is all out. If they are intended for market before December, almost any out-building with a good roof will make a store-house, the more air about them the better. If the floor ia HOW TO RAISE ONIONS. tight, put down scantling, and lay on a temporary loose floor for the onions, and if room is plenty, do not put them over two feet thick. That I may be better understood I will give a description of a fit place to store onions for fall and winter keeping. Make a building with the top of the sills one foot from the ground, to afford room for air to blow freely under a loose floor, laid upon the sills. On the inside of the building, crib around with boards to the height you wish to make the pile, leaving a space of fifteen inches be- tween them and the outside. As the onions are put in, set a small bundle of straw on the end, about once in five feet, to act as a venti- lator. When cold weather approaches, fill the space around the outside, with the onion-tops which are cut, or an equivalent, and bank around outside the building with litter of some kind. In this region near the shore, sea-weed is used to a good purpose, but coarse manure will do, having some place where the air can be let im in mild weather. Cover the top of the onions with dry litter, such as hay, cornstalks or the like. If put up in good order, they will keep in this way, and perhaps bring price enough to pay the extra work. In cutting off the tops, a pocket-knife is generally used. This work can be done at any time after thej are housed, but those intended for keeping late in Spring will do better to remain in the tops until wanted, for market. It is difficult to tell at what time they should be marketed, as the price varies with the seasons. The large quantities raised along the shore here, are sold in New- York, mostly by the barrel, sent in sloops sailing between the city and the different ports. They are sent as soon as they are large enough in the fall, and continued until late in spring. As a general rule, probably, it would be well to dispose ot one half of the crop before the holidays, and look out for the remainder. Five hundred bushels per acre are a fair yield, but seven or eight hundred bushel are often raised. Usually the yield is less the first year or two ; after that, if well manured, the crop is more certain and the land may be continued in onions year after year. I know o ground that has produced onions for forty years in succession, with only a rest of one or two years, and yielded well. No. III. BY JONATHAN DENNIS, NEWPORT CO., R, I. THB Island of Rhode Island and the shores of Nara- gansett Bay, have long been celebrated for the raising of onions, particularly the town of Bristol, situated on the main land, twelve miles from the city of Prov- idence, and enjoying a fine harbor, from which large quantities of onions are annually shipped to New- York and all the southern ports of the Union ; but the largest trade perhaps, is carried on with the Island of Cuba, to which great quantities of potatoes, and onions, and other vegetables, are annually shipped, bringing sugar and molasses as return cargo. Newport also carries on a considerable trade in onions and other vegetables, with the South. SOIL. The onion requires a rich soil, and if it is not naturally so, it must be made so, by the addition of a liberal dressing of manure, otherwise it is of but little use to try to raise a crop of onions ; black heavy soil and rather moist, or such as will not suffer from drouth, perhaps is the best ; but almost any soil that will pro- duce a good crop of Indian corn will answer if made rich enough. Old gardens that have been long culti- vated will generally raise a crop without much diffi- culty, but new land, or land that has not been highly cultivated for a number of years, will not generally produce a full crop for the first year or two, owing, as I suppose, to the manure not becoming sufficiently in- corporated with the soil. Those not experienced in the raising of this crop should not be discouraged if they do not succeed the first year, for the onion, unlike most other crops, succeeds better the longer it is plant- ed on the same ground, except in some instances af- ter long planting in the same place, they seem to be- come diseased from some cause not well understood, when alternating with another crop for a year or" two is said to remedy the evil. * This disease shows itselt by the curling of the leaves and turning of a yellow sickly hue, and upon breaking the leaves they appear to be filled with a kind of smut ; hence the disorder is called the smut. MANURE. That from the hog-pen I consider the best, but barn or stable-manure will answer nearly as well on most soils ; sea manure is considered excel- lent on our soils. The waters of Naragansett Bay produce large quantities of marine plants, which are washed on the shores and collected by the farmers, and composted in barn-yard and hog-pen, and produce a most valuable manure for this crop. Large quantities of fish are taken in this bay, and when composted and mixed with barn or hog-yard manure, are much used for onions. Guano does not seem to suit them as well as it does some other crops, and I would uot advise farmers to try to raise onions EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICAL GROWERS. with it alone. Wood ashes are an excellent manure oii any soil, and perhaps the greensand of New Jersey would answei, as they seem to require potash. PREPARATION OF THE SOIL. The manure should be spread twenty-five or thirty loads for two horses or one pair of oxen, or a cart-load of forty bushels to the acre, and ploughed hi with a good even furrow. The depth will depend on the depth the soil has been previously cultivated. The whole should be thorough- ly turned over, covering the manure completely ; and if the ground has not been highly manured previously, it should have a light dressing on top, of decomposed manure, or wood ashes. Then harrow the ground fine with a light, harrow, and rake smooth and level, re- moving any coarse manure, stones, or lumps that may interfere with planting or hoeing. If you have a large bed, it saves labor to strike furrows through it, say a rod or more apart, before commencing to rake, into which all the lumps of manure and small stones may be deposited and leveled over with the soil. Those places will be found to produce as well or better than the rest of the pieces. PLANTING. Plant in hills with the rows twelve inches apart, and six inches between the hills. We use a machine that plants in hills, two rows at once, at the required distance apart. Never plant them in drills if you can avoid it. If you have no machine that will plant in hills, I think you will save time in the after-cultivation by planting by hand. It is te- dious work to weed a drill-row, but in hills you can do most of the weeding with the hoe. Put from six to eight seeds in a hill if you wish to raise them of nearly uniform size for marketing by the bushel. With us, where most of the crop is bunched on straw, for the West-India and other foreign markets, we put from ten to twelve seeds in the hill, and we never thin them out. They seldom all vegetate, and some will be cut up in hoeing, so that two thirds the number you plant will be all, perhaps, that will come to maturity. They require but slight covering, not exceeding one half or three quarters of an inch deep, pressing the earth down sightly upon the seed.. Our machines are pro- vided with a roller that does this. Onions will grow well very thick if provided with a sufficient quantity of manure. VARIETIES. The kind will depend altogether on the market you wish to supply. We raise the common red onion, because it suits our market. Each one should consult the wants of his customers in this as in every other crop. The Yellow Danvers is a good sort tor our home market. It is hardy, cooks white, and keeps well through the winter. The White Portugal is a delicate onion, and sells the highest in our home markets of any variety, but is a poor keeper for winter and spring use. The red with us is divided into three sorts, as they are called, though in tact they are all one, namely, the early, second early, and late, and are produced by merely selecting the onions for seed. The early is a flat onion, sometimes even hollowed at the crown, the second early is full and round, and the late is some- what pointed at both ends. Therefore all you have to do to produce those varieties, is to select the flattest onions you can find, to raise your seed from, if you wish to raise early ; the full round for the second early, and so on, and you can readily produce the kind you wish by a few years' propagation in this way. We raise the second sort mostly because it produces well, and suits our market, though there are considerable quantities of the early variety raised for the early market, which do very well, although they do not pro- duce as much, but bring a higher price on account ot being early. Be careful in purchasing seed to buy from those you can rely upon, as old seed is very un- certain. The potato-onion is largely raised by market-gar- deners, to be pulled up when partly grown, and tied in bunches of six or more for the market. They are a valuable variety, being of mild flavor, and cook very white. They are propagated by sets and not by seed. A large bulb set out in spring will produce a number, some of good size, which may be pulled for market or the table, with several small ones, which may by set the next year, and which in turn produce one or two large ones. There are a great many raised from pips, as they are called, which are the very small onions left from the main crop of the red variety, set out in spring similar to the potato-onion. They will incline to run to seed, and the seed-stalk must be broken off. Be careful to break them below the large place on the stalk, and they will produce a good bulb for early use. Both the pips and potato-onion may be set thickly in drills, as early in spring as the state of the ground \vill admit of, and with a litle hoeing they will pro- duce a good early crop. There is a variety called the top-onion, which produces the seed or set on the top, like the garlic ; but they are not much grown, and with us are not considered worthy of cultivation. HOEING. Onions should be hoed as soon as the rows can be seerr and as often as the weeds show themselves. I consider it better to hoe often, for you can hoe them twice over when they are not very weedy, in about the same time it would take to do it once if you let them get overrun with weeds; and then it is a long and tedious job to clear them out, be- sides injuring the crop in so doing. After the second or third hoeing, when they have got a good start, car- rots may be planted between the hills in two out of three rows, and so on, leaving one out of three for space to lay the onions to cure, and in this way a good crop of carrots ' can be raised without injuring the onions but very little, if any. Large quantities of car- rots are raised in this manner with us with very little expense. They will want one hoeing after harvestirg 8 HOW TO EAISE ONIONS the onions, to clean out any weeds that may be still standing on the ground. The carrots will grow rapid- ly till frost, and even after. HARVESTING. The onions should be pulled as soon as the tops have mostly fallen, which shows ma- turity. Lay them in rows, two or three rows together, straight and evenly, and when the tops are nearly dry. cut them off, leaving about two inches of the stalk. Leave them to dry a few days longer if they are to be stored, or they may be marketed immediately. In topping, have the bottoms at the left hand, and the knife or shears (some use common sheep-shears) in the right, when, if they are laid evenly, you can take a number at once instead of taking each one singly, and boys that are used to it will top them very fast. BUNCHING. To bunch onions rapidly and handsome- ly requires much practice, but some boys will make from three to four hundred bunches a day. It is done thus : Take about two feet in length of the butt- end of rye straw, and in size nearly as large as a broom- stick when drawn together by the twine. Commence at the bottom, and wind common wrapping twine around it for three inches, drawing it up tight, then put on a circle of four medium-sized onions to begin with, take a turn round the neck of these, draw them up snug to the straw, tying the next on the top of them. As you proceed, press them down snug upon each other with the thumb of the left hand, and wind the twine once around to each onion, tapering them up from a good-sized one at the bottom, to the size of a large walnut at the top, and from ten to twelve in length. Keep the rows straight, and with a little practice, you can make a neat bunch that will suit, is many markets, better than loose onions, and also U3*r up and make salable the small-sized onions. An average crop with us may be stated at from four hundred to five hundred bushels per acre, though we sometimes get six hundred. The price varies from thir- ty-five to fifty cents per bushel delivered at the landing on tide-water direct from the field. "When the shippers pay from two to three dollars the hundred bunches, of three pounds to the bunch, for large quantities, taking the whole crop at once and directly from the field, it is considered a profitable crop. There is little done in the retail way, except for a few early ones iu our home markets. STORING. Store your onions in a dry cool place, to keep through the winter. The garret is a good place for those who wish to keep a few for family use, cov- ering them with some old cloth to prevent their thaw- ing when once frozen. But if you wish to keep a large quantity, any out-building that is tolerably tight, will answer by packing the sides with hay or straw, and covering the top with the same. The cellar, unless very dry, is not a good place to keep them, on account of their growing if kept too warm. A basement-story perhaps would answer if not too warm. They should not be moved while frozen, except you wish to cook them immediately. I have written especially with regard to the onion as a field crop, for in this section they are raised aa such, by farmers who cultivate quite large tracts, and in fields from one half-acre to three acres. No. IV. BY D. C. REYNOLDS, CLINTON CO., PA. THE onion tribe, consisting of the onion, leek, garlic, and shallot, are all natives of Eastern countries, but they seem to be well adapted to certain portions of the United States, and acquire considerable pungency of flavor in this climate. In order to be successful in growing the onion, the soil must be rich, light, and deep, and in a situation well exposed to the sun. You must not think of sow- ing the seed until you have worked the bed well to the depth of eighteen inches, enriching it, and beating it flat and firm with a spade. Some may suppose it early, but I always sow my omon seed sometime in March, not being at all parti- cular as to the precise time of the month, or having any regard to the superstition so prevalent in regard to signs. No good gardener can dispense with the line : he will therefore scratch drills by the line just deep enough to be clearly eeen, and then distribute the seeds along the drills about three or four seeds to the inch. Next, sift fine sandy earth over the seeds, and pat the surface even. Finally, scatter leached ashes over the bed, evenly, to the depth of about one eighth of an inch. Be careful to allow no weeds to grow up and choke the young plants. This is a very important pre- caution, as I think the shade caused by rank weeds is one of the greatest causes of small crops in this coun- try. As the onions grow, they must be thinned out; allowing alternately a space between, fully equal to the breadth of the onion from bulb to bulb. There are some who prefer to sow onions broadcast, but I am satisfied they lose more by their indolence than they gain in point of economy of time. After the onions have somewhat advanced, it will be beneficial to scat- ter common salt among them, the chemical properties of the salt seem to cause them to enlarge. EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICAL GROWERS. 9 This is about as good a way to cultivate the onion from the seed to the perfect large onion, as I have ever seen, or tried and it is my custom to examine every new idea, or experiment, that comes before the public, with a view to a correct plan, not only with the onion, but all kinds of vegetables. In September, the necks of the onions should be twisted, and after the leaves become yellow, take the crop up, and place the onions under a shed, exposed to sun and air until they are quite dry on the outside. Of the different Kinds, I prefer the white, as not being so rank to the taste, and we know they always bring a better price in the market. Although I confess to having been often disappointed in my experience with Patent Office seed?, owing to their age before they are placed in the ground, yet I can safely recommend the " white onion" obtained from England, as of superior quality both as regards size and taste. Besides the onions raised from the seed, we can grow them so as to have a supply in July. The ground, in this case, must be prepared early as the weather will permit, in February, and for seed take a number of those small bulbs that are always found in the beds just described, and which are noi above an inch broad. The bed being ready at the end of the first week, form it into squares on the surface by means of cross-strings. At the places where the lines meet, press in an onion, one third of the onion being placed in the ground, so that the bulb will remain firm and erect. After this is done, you will have a bed with the onions in squares, five or six inches apart. Now, the onion naturally forms its bulb the first year of its growth, and forms flower and seed in the second year. Of course, there- fore, these small onions, being in their second year, will attempt to form flower and seed, and this must be prevented by plucking off the flower-head as soon as it makes its appearance. A second attempt will be made, which must also be prevented in the same way. Thus, the sap, which would otherwise have "run to seed," will be kept in the bulb, and by degrees two, three, or four medium-sized onions will be developed. These are to be taken in July or August, and dried under a shed, as before directed. A great amount of nonsense, in the shape of " ex- periments," has been given to the world on the subject of the onion : but as I have already remarked, give me a soil rich, light, deep, and well exposed to the sun, and in addition, a few bushels of leached ashes, and a reasonable quantity of common salt, and I will show you a crop of onions equal to any ever produced by any other mode. The onion is a plant whose roots feed upon nourish* ment on or very near the surface hence deep sowing and planting, as well as hoeing the earth around the plants, are to be avoided. In very hot weather in summer, it may be necessary to water them but do not carry this to extreme?. The onion is a very hardy plant, and I have frequently left bulbs in the ground throughout the winter for the purpose of obtaining an early mess on the dinner- table in spring. These is another mode of raising the onion which I like very well, although requiring a greater length of time to develop. This is by sowing the seed, thickly in drills from three to five inches apart, having prepared the ground in the same manner as above described, and reserving the leached ashes and salt for the second 1 year. By this method, you procure a number of bushels of small onions, which are to be kept over winter in a place dry, not too warm, and yet where they will not freeze. These must be planted as early as the spring weather will admit, in the second year, and the flower-shoots must be plucked off, as I have- said in speaking of the early summer variety. They must be planted in the same way, in squares of five or" six inches apart. The onion has been too slightly cultivated. This is-- owing to the vulgar notion of its unpleasant smell. It is true, it is apt to affect the breath, so that one who has eaten of this really wholesome vegetable, will smell of it for many hours afterwards. But this should' be no reason for abandoning its use, as we can always so arrange our meal that it can be eaten when there is- no risk of this sort. The onion has been successfully used as a medicine, particularly in croupy affections of children both the' expressed juice mixed with sugar, and in the form of a poultice to the chest and extremities. It is stimu- lant, acts upon the kidneys, upon the bronchial tubes^ and air-passages, and will excite irritation on the skin^ If eaten in moderation, it increases the appetite and promotes digestion, and may be used as a condiment ; but in large quantities it is apt to cause flatulence, gastric uneasiness, and febrile excitement. It may be given with advantage in dropsy and gravel. If it be- boiled, it loses its essential oil, and becomes a whole- some and harmless esculent. It may also be roasted 1 and split, and applied with benefit to suppurating: tumors. In fact, it is one of the most useful vegetables 1 we possess, and deserves better treatment at the hand* of man. 10 HOW TO RAISfc ONIONS, NO. V. BY STEPHEN HOYT & SON, FAIRFIELD CO,, CT. SOIL is the first consideration in the culture of onions. To raise them successfully, it is important that this be right. The soil best adapted to them is a neavy, moist, (not wet,) rich loam, free from stone. Fair crops of onions may be raised upon a light dry soil in favorable seasons, but the tops are very liable to turn yellow just as they begin to bottom, and to die down before they are of much size, thus very materi- ally diminishing the crop. The soil should be culti- vated with some hoed crop, and no weeds allowed to ripen seed upon it for one or two years before plant- ing with onions. After having decided upon the soil, the next thing is the MANURE. Onions draw very heavily upon the soil, and to insure a large crop, manure should be applied li- berally. No definite quantity can be recommended, as the condition of the land varies so much ; but, as a gen- eral thing, there is more danger of not applying enough than too much. Stable or barn-yard manure when tho- roughly decomposed, may be considered a very proper manure for oniona We have found ashes very beneficial, end have raised fine crops with no other manure. They should be composted with swamp-muck, using one load of ashes to ten or twelve of muck. Apply twenty-five or thirty loads to the acre more would oe better. Fish composted with muck, makes a very superior manure for onions, not excelled if equalled by any other manure. Eight to ten thousand fish, (moss bunkers,) properly composted, make a good dressing for an acre. We have used guano, and it makes onions, like almost every thing else, grow, yet we are not in favor of its use, 6nly when composted with muck, or mixed with good soil. If nothing else can be had, guano may be used with success, but should lay composted a few months before using. It is un- necessary to particularize the kinds of manure further. Any well-rotted manure may be used with advantage if applied in sufficient quantity. PLOUGHING, HARROWING, ETC. This we would re- commend to be done as early in the spring as the .ground will admit. First, plough deep, and harrow down. Then spread on the manure and plough in shallow, say four inches. If ashes are used, spread them upon the surface and harrow in. After the second ploughing, harrow again, and pick off the stones, if there are any ; then roll, (this is very important,) harrow once more and rake off, so as to remove all stones, grass, roots, etc. It is very important to have the ground fine and clean before sowing, as much of the after-cultivation depends upon this. SHED. There is nothing, .perhaps, in raising onions if more importance than the seed, which should be 4?ht to start with. If the seed is. poor and fails to come, or a part comes, it not only lessens the crop, but is a source of much vexation. We have found it the most reliable course to raise our own seed. The beet onions should be selected and put out as early as possible in the spring ; in rows three feet apart, and six inches distant in the row. Hoe often to keep clean, and when the hulls begin to open, remove the heads to some place under cover, where they may re- main to be cleaned out at leisure. The seed may be loosened from the heads by threshing them with a flail, or by rubbing in the hands, and then run through a fanning-mill. If it is then put into a tub of water, the poor seed will float and may be removed from the sur face, leaving the good at the bottom, in a clean state, after which it should be taken out and dried- We have frequently bought seed, as those just com mencing the business have to do. In this case it should be tried before sowing. This may be done by placing some cotton thoroughly wet in a tumbler, sprinkling a few seeds over the surface of the cotton, and placing the tumbler in a warm place. In a few days the seed will germinate if it is good. It is im portant to have new seed, as old is very liable to fail or if it does not, the sprout is more feeble and puny. We prefer the red globe variety for general cultiva- tion, as they are hardy and yield better than any other. White onions sell for a large price, but they are more tender, and we have condemned them for general cul- tivation. We have had several trials with them, and found them to yield well; but they are very liable to decay or become spotted ; so as to injure their sale. SOWING may be done with almost any seed-drill, but we generally use one made expressly for the purpose, sowing two rows at once, twelve inches apart. A boy follows behind, covering the seed with the head of a rake. With this kind of machine, a man and boy will sow two acres per day. We have found four pounds of seed to the acre the proper quantity. The seed should be sowed as early as the ground will admit. HOEING AND WEEDING. As soon as the onions are up so as to distinguish the rows, they should be hoed by a careful hand, using a hoe with a blade eight inches in length and two in width. These hoes may be obtained at most agricultural stores, and are prefer- red because they cover the onions much less than a common hoe. Repeat the hoeing again in a few days, and follow by weeding, using the greatest care to re- move all the weeds, as the after-expense will depend much upon the first dressing-out. Never allow onions to suffer for the want cf weeding, but clean as the weeds are coming up. If weeds are allowed to attain much size, they are very apt to take r x>t again, even EXPEKIENCE OF PRACTICAL GROWERS. 11 when pulled out, and the patch will soon be overrun, j Our rule is, to stir the ground often, and never let the onions suffer for want of weeding. By so doing they are dressed out quickly and at little expense. Con- tinue to hoe and stir the ground until the bulbs are too large to work among without injuring them. Thinning is unnecessary when only the above quantity of seed is used. PULLING AND CURING. As soon as the tops have died down, or nearly so, pull them. When onions do well, their tops will lop over just at the top of the onion, and gradually die away. The grower will mainly have to be his own judge when to pull. There are seasons, however, when a large proportion of the onions are inclined to run to scallions or large-necked bulbs, and a beginner may be at a loss what to do. Many remedies have been recommended to make onions bottom, but we have found them of but little use. Watch them closely, and after being satisfied that they are making no more bottoms, pull them not- withstanding the tops may be green, keeping the scal- 'ions (or unbottomed onions) by themselves, as they will never cure sufficiently to be housed with the other onions. We would here mention that it is our opinion that green or unfermented manures on ground that has never raised onions, are very apt to produce the above results. Having decided that the onions are fit to gather, first pull six or eight rows, throwing them upon the unpulled ones to get a start. Then hoe over and rake off the strip pulled, to remove all weeds or grass, if any are growing. If there are no weeds, this will be unnecessary. After having cleaned off a strip, pull six or eight rows more, throwing the onions together with those first pulled upon the strip hoed and raked off. Hoe and rake off as before, and so continue to pull and hoe until the piece is finished, leaving the onions spread broadcast over the surface of the field. The scallions, if any, may be left to go out with the weeds or refuse. Let the onions remain in this situa- tion for two weeks or more, until well cured, that is, until the tops have become 1 thoroughly dry. They should then be turned over with a rake, as many of them will be imbedded into the ground more or less, gathering moisture. In a few hours after stirring, with a good sun, they will be fit for housing. It mat- ters not, however, if they remain in the field for a month after pulling, or at least until freezing weather In fact, we prefer to have them remain out as long as ,t will answer, as they are very apt to sweat, heat, and sprout when put in large quantities, if housed early, although ever so well cured, and it is quite as conve- nient to market them from the field. It is recommend- ed and practised by many to pile the onions as they are pulled. We have practised it, but prefer the method above described. When piled, they want more attention in curing, as they are very apt to hold moisture enough from rains to make them blacken, if not opened and stirred frequently. HOUSING. It is highly important to have them stored in a suitable place. This needs to be dry, cool, and, when necessary, warm. We have housed them in the cellar, but find it too damp and warm. They are very liable to sprout and rot, and it is difficult to keep them until spring. This, however, depends much upon the dampness of the cellar. Perhaps as suitable a place as can be had, unless by constructing a house expressly for it, is the bay of a barn, using that portion only below the first beam or sill. A tight floor should be provided, and the sides lined with saw-dust, tan- bark, turning-shavings, or something of the kind, to a thickness of six or eight inches. A door should be made at each end, so that there may be a circulation of air, until compelled to close them by the severity of the weather. A place of this description will hold several hundred bushels, and should contain one or two temporary partitions, running lengthwise, and as high as the onions. This prevents them from lying so compact, and tends to keep them from heating, sweating, etc. Sticks, boards, or any thing of the kind, placed in through them, answers a good purpose. Aa soon as freezing weather sets in, close the doors, and cover with straw. Those designed to be market- ed before the severe cold weather comes on, may be put in any place under cover. Those designed fo: wintering should be put in with tops on, as they sprout much less. In fact it is better to top them as they are marketed, in all cases. Topping makes good wet-weather employment. MARKETING. The producer will have to exercise his own judgment as to the proper season for market- ing. For a number of years past they have brought the best price in the spring, yet there have been springs when we have thrown away hundreds of bushels. This, however, seldom occurs. Where a person raises largely, it is necessary to commence marketing as soon as the onions are ripe enough to pull, in order to get them off in time. We have found it advisable to sell whenever they bring a good paying price. They should never be moved while frozen. If kept covered and undisturbed while frozen, the frost will leave them uninjured, unless it is too severe, and often repeated. YIELD. Much depends upon the soil and season for a large yield. The average crop is about five hundred bushels per acre. A large yield oaa not be expected in this section without having the soil of the proper texture and a heavy manuring. The more manure, the more onions. There is no difficulty in raising eight or nine hundred bushels per acre. The same ground may be used for many years in succession if well manured, and with better success than by changing every year, or every few years. Pains should be taken to destroy all weeds, so that none shall go to seed upon the 12 HOW TO KAISE ONIONS. ground, and also in making manure, that no seed may oe present in that. By so doing for a few years, onions may be raised with but little expense. Experience is necessary to raise onions successfully. We would not advise any person unacquainted with growing onions, to enter into it very largely at first, for it would very likely prove a failure. "We have observed several instances where individuals have commenced with a small patch, who have increased gradually until t^ey have reached six, eight, or ten acres, while others commencing with one acre or more, were unsuccessful, and have abandoned the business. It can not be expected that from three to four hundred dollars per acre should be realized with- out considerable expense ; and although we may read the various methods of others in regard to it, we are ill-prepared to go into the business of raising onions on a large scale without experience. No. VI. BY ARTHUR C. TAYLOR, FAIRFIELD CO., CT. THE first thing to look after is the seed. In select- jag the onions to plant for seed, choose those of a oright red color, of a medium size, with a small top, v well dried down to where it joins the bulb,) in shape as near round as you can find. Round onions yield more per acre than flat ones. If your seed-onions are deeper than they are broad, your onions will be in- clined to run to scallions, (unsalable onions with thick green tops,) a result much to be dreaded by the onion- raiser. Plant your seed-onions in drills, three feet apart, the onions four inches apart in the drills. Plant deep in the ground, and hoe the dirt up to the plants as they grow. In weeding, be careful not to rub the seed-stalks, as it will sometimes cause the seed to blast. When the stalks have nearly all turned yellow, cut off the seed-balls, and dry them on a roof or garret floor. When dry, clean the seed, ready for sowing in the spring. In choosing the ground, a level piece is preferable to side-hill, on account of its being less liable to be washed by spring rains. The soil should be deep and rich, neither too wet nor too dry, (of the two rather moist.) Unlike most other crops, onions may be plant- ed on the same ground fur a great number of years, and still bring good crops. Manure very highly, stable-manure, ground bones, ashes, and guano are all very good. Stable-manure should be ploughed in ; be careful to turn it all under. Bones or ashes may be harrowed in after the ground in ploughed. G-uano should be raked in after the har- rowing is done. Guano does well with other manure. It gives the young plants a good start early in the sea- son. The ground should be ploughed deep. It may be done either in the fall or in the spring. Fall ploughing is preferred by many, as it helps on the spring work, and gives a chance to get the seed in the ground early, which is a great advantage. As soon as the ground is free from frost, and dry enough to pulverize the lumps, harrow it well, first with the tooth, then with a nice even brush-harrow. After the harrowing has been thoroughly done, use the hand rake until your ground is free from lumps and stones. Be careful to pick up all the stones. The ground is now ready for the seed. Sow in drills one foot apart; gauge your machine to sow about four pounds per acre. If the ground is in good order, and you are sure your seed is all good, a little less than four pounds will do per acre. Cover the seed by pushing the head of a rake or the back of & corn-hoe along the drills. If the rows are made very straight, it will save time in cultivating. Nothing more is to be done until the onions are up enough to see the rows. Then go through with a light onion-hoe, stirring the ground between the rows. As soon as the onions are all up, put in tho boys with weeders, to take out the weeds which the hoes have left. The weeders are little hoes, two inches wide by one inch deep, with a short handle. Boys soon be- come very handy at this work, and are better than men at the business. All we have to do now, is to keep free from weeds by hoeing and weeding until pulling-time, which is generally in September. When tho tops have nearly all fallen down, and about half of them are dry, they are fit to pull. Leave them on the ground after they are pulled until the tops are all dry, then store them in a dry place. Onions will look brighter if heaped up soon after pulling, and left in heaps to cure. Much care should be used in curing white onions, as the sale of them is injured by having the skins mil- dewed. They should be pulled earlier than red onions. A good plan is to carry them in, soon after pulling, and dry them by spreading out thin in lofts. An important item after the onion crop is raised, is to have it well housed. Onions will keep best on a floor where the air can circulate over and under them. They should be kept cool, but must not be allowed to freeze much. Onions for seed should be put in the cellar when the weather becomes cold, as the yield ot seed will be small if the onions have been touched with frost. On a good piece of ground, six hundred bushels of onions can be raised to the acre, which at 50 cents per bushel, will bring $300 from one acre of ground. EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICAL GROWERS. 13 If the planting of onions for seed has been neglect- onions, than to get a supply from seed stoies where ed, great care should to taken in procuring seed. It is better to give a large price for seed from selected you know nothing about the quality of the onions planted. No. VII. BY DAVID H. SHERWOOD, FAIRFIELD CO., CT. RAISING SEED. Most people are aware that the great onion crop of the country is raised from the black see-d. There has been a great change in the s-hape of the onion within a few years. They were formerly quite flat, but now the best are as far through from the top to the root as the other way. Therefore select the very best for seed, those that are as near round as possible, solid and smooth. These should be kept through the winter in a dry place, where the thermo- meter will not fall below 20. As soon as the frost is out of the ground in the spring, it should be well manured and ploughed deep. Dig trenches three feet apart and five inches deep. Set; your onions in the bottom of these drills about six inches apart. As they grow up, fill the trenches with dirt, and the stalks will not fall down, which is apt to blast the seed. Keep clear from weeds until they blossom, after which do not disturb them. When the stalk below the seed-ball turns yellowish, and the seed-husks begin to open, cut off the seed- balls and spread them thinly on a tight floor, stirring them once in three days ; or, what is better, spread them on a lattice over a tight floor, as they will then have the air around them, which is very essential, as they are apt to mildew. They should remain in this way for several weeks, until they will shell easy. After the chaff is blown out, pour the seed into water ; throw away that which floats, and dry the remainder in the sun for three or four days ; after which put in coarse bags, and hang where it will have plenty of air, as I know of no seed that is more likely to chit than onion-seed. PREPARATION OP THE GROUND for the reception of the seed, is the next thing of importance. I have seen good onions on reclaimed bog swamp, also on re- claimed swamp with a clay sub-soil, but I think the best ground for the purpose is a dry loam. It should first be in hoed crops three or four years, and all weeds kept from going to seed. Clear your ground from all rubbish, stones, etc., in the fall, and, if pos- sible, put on twenty loads, of fifty bushel each, of fine, well-rotted manure to the acre, and plough it in before winter. If thus treated in the fall, you can sow the seed in the spring much earlier and easier than if ploughed in the spring. But as many are apt to put off until to-morrow what should be done to-day, I will say, manure your ground in the spring as soon as it is dry enough to work, ploughing it in at once, as fast as it can be harrowed, raked, and sowed, as it is apt to become lumpy if allowed to lay in the sun after ploughing. Never use a tooth-harrow, as it will draw out the manure. I smooth the ground as follows: Take a plank eight feet long, one foot wide, and three inches thick. Through this, bore four holes, and insert four sticks, four feet long and three inches square. On the under-side of these sticks, fasten boards. The front plank standing edgewise as it moves along, will level the furrows, while the boards behind will smooth them. "Wood ashes, at the rate of from one to two hundred bushels to the acre, harrowed in, will pay double their cost in most cases. After you have leveled and smoothed your ground as much as con-- venient with your team and leveler, use the hand- rake, leaving the surface as fine and even as possible. In order to have your rows straight, draw a line across the field. Draw the pi anting- machine by the line. These machines for planting, which cost about five dollars, plant two drills at a time, one foot apart, and about half an inch deep. I use four pounds of seed to the acre, and cover by drawing a hand-rake length- wise over the drills. The usual time of sowing here in the southern part of Connecticut, is from the first to the fifteenth of April. A hand-roller drawn over the ground after planting, will help the seed to germinate. About two weeks is required to bring up the seed, and they should be hoed as soon as the rows can be seen, which will generally be the latter part of May. The most convenient hoe which I have seen for this purpose, is eight inches long and one and a half wide, inserted in a handle six feet long. Much depends upon how the hoe stands, about its working easy. If made right, the dirt will slide over it. After the weeds that are cut up by the hoe, have had time to die, they should be- gone over carefully one row at a time, cutting and pulling every weed from the row. The most con- venient way for doing this, is to crawl on your knees with a small hoe in one hand, to cut where there is room, and pull with the other hand. The hoe for this purpose should be about three inches long, three fourths of an inch wide, inserted in a handle eight inches long. From this time they should be kept perfectly free from weeds ; to do this, they will require going over from three to five times, or once in two weeks ; but as to this, there can be no rule given, as much depends upon the soil, the kind of manure, weather, etc. u HOW TO EAISE ONIONS. It is much easier to keep them clean by going over taem often, than to put it off too long; besides, weeds shade the ground and impoverish the soil. There should be no trees to shade the onions, as they will hardly grow in sight of one. If the onions grow well, the tops will fall down before they are done growing ; at other times they will stand stiff and never fall. If they fall down, they are fit to pull when about three fourths of the tops are dead, which is generally the last of August or the fore part of September. The sooner they are pulled after they are fit, the better they will keep, and the brighter they will look. Commence, by pulling a few rows, and lay them one side. Hoe up the weeds and rake them off, then pull the next rows, and hoe off the weeds as before. Continue thus through the field. Pull with your hands, and lay them over carefully. If the weather is good, after they have lain spread for three or four days, pile them up, putting about three bushels in a pile in the form of a pyramid. Let them stand in this way from two to four weeks, or until the tops are all dead, and if there should be heavy rains during the time, the piles should be opened on a fair day, and piled again. Piling them up causes them to sweat, and they are then less likely to sweat after carrying in. After they are properly cured, open the piles on a drying day, and they will generally be fit to put in the day following. Never cart them until they are perfectly dry and dusty, and it should be done between 11 A. M. and 4 P.M. One half the secret of their keeping well, is in carting them when perfectly dry. If they are to be disposed of before cold weather, they can be kept in any dry place where they will have air. The best place is on a loose floor, where the air will draw under them. If they are to be kept through the winter, have a tight floor, which the frost can not get under. On this lay scantling, upon which lay narrow boards, with cracks between them. Board up around the outside, leaving a space of one foot be- tween them and the outside partition. Arranged in this way, you have a free circulation of air all around them When the thermometer sinks to 20, fill the space around the outside with sea-weed, onion-tops, or some- thing of the kind, which easily stops the circulation o: air. They can be put in such a place three feet deep, with hay, cornstalks, or something of the kind, two feel thick over them, and they will come out good in thfe spring. Before sending to market, cut the top one nch from the onion. If they get frozen, let them remain still and covered until thawed. Always handle them as carefully as you would apples, as a slight bruise will cause them to mould and rot. The expense of an acre of onions with me is about as follows : 20 loads of manure at $1.50 $30.00 Carting, turnfng, spreading, etc 6.00 100 bushels ashes, at It cts 17.00 Ploughing and harrowing, 4.00 Raking and sowing, 4.00 4 Ibs. of seed, at $1, 4 00 Hoeing four times, 6 days, 6.00 Weeding four times, 24 days, 20.00 Pulling and piling, 12 days, 10.00 Drawing in with team, two days, 6.00 Topping 500 bushels, at 2 cts., 10.00 Marketing, 8.00 Interest on land, 12.00 Total, ..$137.00 A crop of onions will vary from 200 to 800 bushels to the acre, according to the state of the soil, manure, the care taken of them, etc. The price also varies from 10 cts. to $1 per bushel. The red globe onion is the variety generally raised for market, as it yields more than other varieties, and keeps better. The silver-skin onion brings the highest price, but is very apt to mould and rot before winter. Some may think, 1 have been very particular in the above description, but after they have had ten years' experience, they will find there is yet something to be learned. If you are too proud to go on your knees, or have not the patience to spend much time on a small place, or have not enough perseverance to do the same thing over and over again, you had better sell your seed, and sow your ground to buckwheat. Onions are a crop which generally pay a large pro- fit, but sometimes the neglect of a few days will spoil it. The same piece may be planted year after year with success. The weeding, pulling, and topping can be done by faithful boys as well as by men. It is estimated that from the towns of Fairfield and "Westport there were sent to market last year not far from 200,000 (two hundred thousand) bushels. EXPERIENCE OP PRACTICAL GKOWEES 15 No. VIII. BY G. I. MILLER, NIAGARA, CANADA WEST. IT is of the greatest importance in growing onions to have the right kind of soil, and that in the highest state of cultivation. In my opinion, a light sandy soil, well drained for all seasons, is preferable. Onions also can be raised to great advantage on black loam or light clay soil, providing the seasons are not too dry. To prepare the ground, I would recommend a piece that has been planted with potatoes, manured with rotten horse-stable manure, at the rate of about fifty loads per acre. As soon as the potatoes have been taken from the ground, plough about seven inches deep, letting it lie until the first of April, or as soon as the ground will admit of being worked, then adding about ten loads of hog-manure, well spread over the surface, and plough under from five to six inches deep, after which spread a few bushels of hen-manure, and then harrow the ground until it is well pulverized. The land is now ready to sow, for the earlier the seed is sown, the better the onions will be. Testing the seed can bo done by cutting two sods from the ground, and pouring boiling water over them, letting the water drain well off, then placing the seed between the sods, and laying them under the stove for about two days, when the seed, if good, will sprout. I would recommend the large red globe onion as being the best variety for market. The seed should be sown by a seed-drill, eighteen inches apart, in rows lengthwise of the land, at the rate of about three to three and a half pounds of seed per acre, leaving a space of three feet in the dead fur- rows for weeds, etc. It is necessary, as soon as the rows can be plainly seen, to go through them with the hoe, leaving the ground as level as possible, and at the expiration of eight or ten days, go through them again, weeding, and thinning them from one to two inches apart ; after which it will be necessary to apply the hoe every two weeks, always bearing in mind, that the oftener the ground is stirred, the greater will be the produce. After the tops are dropped down and withered, then pull. them at once, for if left in the above condition, they will take the second growth, which will injure the quality materially. After they are pulled up, let them lay on the ground for a few days to dry, then top them with a sharp knife, taking care before doing this, that the onions are perfectly dry ; after which, spread them thin, in a dry, cool place, and then you have them ready for the market. It is advantageous to grow them on the same piece of ground for five or six years, adding a little manure every spring before ploughing. Onions raised by this method will produce from seven to nine hundred bushels per acre, on a light, sandy soil. Onions raised on the aforesaid plan havo taken the first prizes for the last six years at our count) and township shows, and the first prize at the Provin cial Agriculture Show, held at Toronto, Canada Wesi on September 28th, 1858. No. IX. BY TJ, E. DODGE, CHATAUQUE CO., N. Y. SEED. To cultivate onions successfully, and with- out failures, care is necessary in selecting and raising seed. Seed should never be sown when over two years old. Onions, intended for seed, should be care- fully selected, choosing the thickest and the most per- fectly round, of medium size, and the brightest colors of the kind. These should be stored through the win- ter, or from December until the opening of spring. At the earliest possible moment, they should be set in furrows opened with the plough, three feet apart, and four inches in the rows. None but fine, well-pulver- ized land, should b3 used for raising onion-seed. Cover two inches deep. Avoid putting on any lumps or stones, as these, whenever they fall upon the onions, retard their coming up, and consequently make an un- even harvest All weeds must be kept down wj'-b the cultivator and hand-hoe, until thd &eed matmes, which will be about the last of August, or the urst of September never later than the ciixUi of Septpm- ber in this latitude. Their mature 7 Liay be easily known by the cracking of the ball'* As soon as the balls commence cracking, the headr &could be clipped, leaving six or eight inches of the SUIK adhering to the head. The juice or sap which the stalk contains, ma- tures more perfect seed than when clipped short. The mode of cutting, is to take a common wooden pail ic the left hand, and a sharp knife in the other, holding the blade parallel with the thumb. Slio the stalk be- 16 HOW TO RAISE ONIONS. tween the thumb and knife, at the same time swing up the pail to the standing stalk, and a slight draw with the right hand severs the head from the stalk, which falls into the pail, with all loose seed which would otherwise be lost. The pails, as they become full, are emptied into bags, and taken to the drying-barn. It is not an extraordinary day's work for a man to cut ten bushels seed per day. Drying the seed requires some care, and neglect in -his branch is the cause of great loss by failures in the germination of the seed. Onion-seed, to be cured pro- perly, and insure entire success in germination, should be dried in the shade, spread upon a smooth level floor, and not more than three inches thick. It should be turned twice every day, until perfectly dry. The first quality of seed is obtained from that which shells while turning; that which remains, and has to be threshed from, the balls, being light, and of inferior quality. SOIL. That best adapted to the growth of onions is a deep mellow loam, resting on a dry, porous sub-soil. Although a vegetable of very shallow root, yet the onion delights in a deep, finely-pulverized soil. Cold, wet clay-sand seldom produces good crops, unless thoroughly underdrained, and otherwise mechanically prepared. PREPARATION OF THE GROUND. Soil, containing the natural requisites, namely, dry, mellow, and fertile, should be ploughed in the fall, previous to sowing the crop. Twenty loads, of one cord each, of well-rotted manure, prepared by shoveling over two or three times the summer previous, should be spread upon each acre. At each turning, put the outside of the heap into the middle of the pile, thus destroying thousands of weed- seeds that would otherwise grow, causing much extra labor to eradicate them. The manure thus prepared is spread evenly upon the ground, and turned under with the plough from five to six inches deep, and thus re- mains till spring, leaving the frost to pulverize the sur- face, and destroy all insects whose winter-quarters have been made beneath the surface, and whose eggs and Iarva3 can not stand the severity of our winters, when exposed to the weather from November till April. As soon in the spring as the weather and the soil will permit, the bed should be cross-ploughed, leaving the furrows upon edge as much as possible, so that a harrowing will mix the manure with the soil. It should be harrowed across the furrows, and raked lengthwise of them by hand. PLANTING. Draw a line at one side of the bed, and prepare a marker by taking a piece of scantling four by four, or any other convenient size, and bore four inch- holes, twelve inches apart. In these insert four pins for teeth, a^.d make a hole in the middle of the piece, at right angles to the teeth, for a handle. With this, draw marks parallel with the line, and the ground is ready for sowing. Sow at the rate of four pounds seed to tie aero, with a seed-drill, being careful to gauge the drill not to sow over that quantity. All over that increases the labor of thinning. If the weather has the appearance of being dry, it would be well to roll, after sowing, with a hand-roller; but this is seldom required, as the roller upon the drill usually presses the ground sufficiently for the germina- tion of the seed. CULTURE. As soon as the onions make their aru pearance above the ground, sufficient to distinguish the rows, they should be carefully dressed through with the scuffle-hoe, to destroy all young weeds that may be starting, and greatly facilitate the first hoeing and weeding, which should be done when the plants are about four inches high. Procrastination here pays heavy interest on the wrong side. Thin to three inches in the row diagonally thus : ? . Great results are frequently obtained by sowing broadcast at the weeding, when the ground is in a fresh state, three parts wood ashes, two parts fine dry pulverized hen-manure, and one part plaster, at the rate of three bushels to the acre. The only sure road to success with this crop is clean cultivation, annual manuring, and careful attention during their growth. With these requisites, onions can be grown on land year after year. The writer of this, last year (1858) raised over five hundred bushels to the acre on land that had had no other crop upon it for over a quarter of a century, and by actual experi- ments finds that it produces better onions, and is easier tilled, in consequence of its being kept free from weeds year after year, and the onions are less liable to run to scallions. In this particular they are an excep- tion to any other crop, as all other crops are benefited by rotation. As a market vegetable, the onion is one of the easiest grown ; its plump, firm flesh is not liable to injury from bruises, as many other vegetables ; its keeping qualities and hardiness to frost, render it a vegetable of the first importance for distant markets. The onion is hardy in its nature, standing well the late frosts of spring and the early frosts of autumn, and the best results are obtained from the earliest sow- ing ; in fact, this is almost indispensable to obtain a large crop, although there may be certain seasons in which a late crop may do well ; but it is net safe tc defer sowing later than the twentieth of April. The last of March, or the first of April would be preferred, if the ground was in the proper condition. No time should be lost upon the opening of spring until the seed is in. A little snow, or a few frosty nights, will not injure it. With proper attention, and large drafts upon the bank of muck and manure, a few acres of onions will increase the deposits at the Bank of Exchange a large per centage in a few years, as I shall attempt to show in the following calculation, taking low market prices, and a high estimate on labor, and hardly an average per acre, say four hundred bushels ; EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICAL GROWERS. 17 2 days 1 ploughing and dragging, $4.00 10 " raking and sowing, 10.00 20 " weeding and thinning, first time, 20.00 15 " " second time, 15.00 8 " hoeing, last time, 8.00 20 " harvesting and housing, 20.00 4 pounds seed, 4.00 20 loads of manure, 20.00 3 bushels top-dressing, .75 Interest on land, 10.50 Total, $112.25 400 bushels, at 50 cents, 200.00 Net profit per acre, $87.75 HARVESTING onions is not so laborious as many other kinds of vegetables ; their maturity being earlier in the season, those engaged in their culture are not exposed to the late cold autumn winds, as they would be with a crop of beets, carrots, or turnips. The most expeditious mode of harvesting is to dig them with the common hand-hoe, running one corner of the hoe under the row, giving it a long draw, taking about four rows at a time, digging over some ten or twelve foet ; then, with the back of the hoe, shove them up three or four feet, and hoe the ground level, and spread the onions upon this hoed space. "When treated in this way, they should lie from three to four weeks' or until perfectly dry. They should then be picked from the bed, and carted to the barn, or some building where they will not be exposed to storms, and kept upon a floor, as they will soon injure if piled in large heaps upon the ground, in con- sequence of the dampness which they draw from the earth. If properly dried, and secured from damp, they will keep for* months in this condition, without any further trouble. They are liable to grow when damp, so that it is important that the cultivator see that this part of the work be conducted thoroughly and carefully. MARKETING. Onions are principally sold by the bushel, and by the string. If intended to market by the bushel, the tops should be cut close and smooth, and all loose skin removed, to give them a bright, plump appearance. If for home market, they may be put in bags, or hauled by the wagon-load, avoiding rough handling as far as may be. If for a distant market, barrels are the most convenient mode of pack- ing. Fill them with the onions, packing tight, that that there be no shaking, and head strongly. Packed hi this way, and perfectly dry, they will go thousands of miles by railroad or ship, and open fresh and sound. Those intended for strings should have two inches of the top left upon the onion. The strings are made by taking a few straws, (rye straw is best,) and with a piece of wrapping twine, commence at the butt end of the straw to wind, and at every two or three turns add an onion, ending at the top. This secures it firmly, and brings its broad, flat base upon the outside of the string. The largest should be tied upon the bottom o< the string, gradually diminishing in size, until the smallest are tied upon the top. This gives the string a conical form, and a neat and tidjr appearance, when arranged for sale. PRESERVATION. Keeping through the winter, with- out injury from frosts, or loss from heating and grow- ing, requires care and experience, and various methods are adopted to avoid these results. They are buried in large ricks upon the ground, and covered with a heavy coat of straw and a light coat of earth. They are also tied upon strings, and hung upon the beams in the cellar or warm garret, or spread thinly upon shelves in the cellar. Some pack in boxes or barrels, encased with several thicknesses of paper, and leave them in an out-building. All these have been practised with varied success. The most popular mode, and the one which has given the most satisfactory results, is to spread straw, threshed with a flail, to the depth of twelve to eighteen inches upon the barn -floor, scaffold, or garret ; upon this, spread the onions from six to ten inches thick, and cover with straw eighteen inches to two feet, laying on old pieces of boards or rails to com- press the straw. Treated in this way, if at a sufficient depth from frost, they are not affected by the changes of temperature, and keep in fine condition till the first of May. Onions are propagated from seed, sets, and multi- pliers, or potatoe-onions. The universal mode of pro- pagation at the South and "West is from sets, which are obtained by so\v.ing the seed very thickly, broad- cast or in drills, and when they obtain the size of a filbert, pull them, and dry upon the ground in the sun. These are kept till the following spring, and set by hand. They make a quick, strong growth, and produce fine onions. Multipliers are a variety that produce large tfnd small bulbs alternately, the large producing several small ones the first year, and these small giv- ing large the next year. These may be recommended as a small early crop for family use, and early home market, but not as a main crop, the increase of market- able onions over the seed being too small. Of all the various modes of propagation, sowing the seed for a main crop deserves first rank ; its cheapness, compared with other modes, and the facility with which it is sowed, the early season when it may be gathered in, and the superior fine bulbs which it produces, recom- mend it to general use. But whatever the mode of propagation, the cultivator can not expect remunerative crops, unless he bestows careful attention to the selec- tion of seed, the eradication of weeds during the period of their growth, annual application of well-com- posted manure, and in large quantities, and the harvest- ing, securing, and marketing at the proper time. "With careful attention to these, and a naturally dry, fertile soil, onions may be grown, with large profits upon the capital invested. IS HOW TO RAISE ONIONS. NO. X. BY W. R. BUNNELL, BRIDGEPORT, FAIRFIELD CO., CT KINDS. The thick or globular deep-red onion, known as the Wethersfield Large Red, is the kind generally grown in Fairfield county, Ct. It grows to a good size when thinly sown on good ground, yields well, is of a beautiful color and shape, tender in cooking, keeps well, and is very salable in New-York market, for use or shipping. Also a yellow onion, (generally called and sold for white,) of nearly the same shape and qualities as the red, supposed to be the Danvers, which sells in the same market for one to two shillings a barrel more than the Reds, but does not generally yield so well. SEED. All seed should be raised from good-shaped if not large bulbs, to avoid scallions, (thick-necks or green onions;) should be water-cleaned and kept very dry, and though generally preferred only one year old, will succeed nearly as well after the second, or even third year, if it has been kept in a dry place, but seed more than one year old sells at only half-price. Bought seed should always be put into water and stirred for a short time, and that which does not sink in fifteen minutes, may be considered worthless or unreliable. SOIL. Any good garden soil, from a clay-loam to even quite a gravelly loam, say of one half mixture, is suitable. In a dry season the first will yield best, and .n a wet one the last a medium may be best. EXPOSURE. The best is a dry level, or a slight in- clination to any point of the compass but the north. It should never incline over four inches to the rod, to prevent the rains from washing away the soil with the seeds or young plants. An inclination of one to two feet to the rod is sometimes seen. The plants on side- hills, after they get well rooted, do not suffer from the washing away of the soil, but those buried by the washed soil are injured ; therefore if possible avoid steep side-hills and hollows, especially the latter, where water can stand after rains, which is most inju- rious of all. MANURE. No fresh yard-manure should be used, as it is apt to be full of seeds, which will greatly increase the labor of tending, and the straw will be in the way of ploughing, raking, and hoeing. Night-soil or hog- manure is preferred. If barnyard manure is used, it should be thrown into heaps before the first of March, to kill the seeds and ripen for use by heating, or it may be carried out to the field and each load be heaped by itself, and the earth around thrown upon them as soon as it thaws, to the depth of three or more inches, to keep off the cold winds, and preserve their moisture, and raise the heat high enough to vegetate the seeds. Turning, or well shaking up, putting the outside to the middle a week or two before using, will still further im- orovo it. As to the quantity, the crop will be in pro- portion to that and the quality ; it should bp from forty to sixty or more ox-cart loads to the acre, and twelve to fifty bushels of leached ashes harrowed or raked in, or sowed on the rows after weeding. PLOUGHING. So soon as the ground is dry, have the manure on the field. First hoe it over, to cut up all grass, weeds, and roots, and rake them off; for if ploughed under, they will be a great plague. Then if the heaps of manure were covered with earth, hoe it off as they are wanted, and return it to the hollows to level the ground, and spread it just fast enough to feed the plough, breaking it fine ; then rake or scrape it with a dung-fork, into the furrow, to be covered in the next bout. Once ploughing is sufficient, if well done. A second would throw out the manure. Im- mediately after ploughing, if your quantity of manure was not sufficient, strew any special manures, as pou- drette, guano, superphosphate, bone-dust probably the best of all, etc., to make up the deficiency. If the ground is lumpy, harrow lengthwise first, and finish off by going over with the back of the harrow down, or with a brush harrow, (see Agriculturist, 1858, page 108.) Then proceed to rake off all the stones and rubbish, and to even the surface. If the soil is mellow after ploughing, harrowing may be omitted. Many simply scatter short fresh manure, plough once, and rake down, drill and sow ; but it is a miserable way, making extra work in weeding, and producing a light- er crop. SOWING. This is cheapest and quickest done with a machine, called an onion-sower, which sows two rows at once, one foot apart, and costs about $5, and is to be found at the agricultural stores. It must be regulated on a floor or board, to sow the seed to average to f of an inch apart, which will be about 4 Ibs. to the acre 3- to 4 is the usual quantity for a crop which is not to be thinned out. The machine does not cover the seed. This is done by drawing the back of a hay-rake lengthwise over one or two rows at a time. Any special manures may be scattered with great advantage upon the seed in the drills before covering. Make the drills about of an inch deep when open. But many prefer the old way of sowing by hand, and make a drill-rake with a head three feet four inches long, of three or four inches scantling, with three teeth fifteen inches long, pointed, and one foot apart, with a short curved handle four to five feet long Starting with a line for a guide, (which must also be used with the machine,) and afterwards following the last drill with one tooth, and sow by hand, from a small cup, distributing the seed with the thumb and fingers at the same distances as stated for the machine, and much straighter and more evenly, but it is a tedioua EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICAL GROWERS. 19 process. In either case it should be most carefully and regularly done, and on a still day, or the wind will scatter it beyond the drills. The straighter and nar- rower the seed is sown in the drills, the narrower will be the space left to weed after hoeing. Radishes or some quick-growing seed may be sowed thinly, one or two a^eds to a foot, to direct in hoeing the first time, as the onion tops are so fine they can scarcely be seen, excepting when the dew is on. The radishes may be suffered to grow, and be gathered for market. HOEING. The first hoeing should be commenced when the rows can first be distinguished, with a hoe eight inches long, made by cutting off the back of an old grass-scythe, flattening the blade, and punching a small hole within three fourths of an inch from each end, without heating it, to which a forked brace with goose-necks must be riveted through the goose-heads, to attach it to a light, long handle, usually that of a hay-rake. The beveled edge of the plate should be down, and the heads of the rivets sunk. "With this hoe proceed to scrape once in the middle between the rows, with a reach of two feet or more, barely shaving off the weeds without breaking through the crust, carrying along one or more spaces. Keep the hoe in good order by rubbing on a flat stone, or grinding, and if it clogs, which it will do on new-ploughed ground for two or three years from the sod, push it along on the ground as you step forward, or clean with a stick. The same process, which is light work, and quickly done, may be repeated with advantage within a week, but in a fortnight from first hoeing, or less, according to the size of the weeds, hoe again, only breaking up the crust, say about half an inch deep, loosening but not moving the earth out of place, in the middle of the spaces as before, or, which is better, with two strokes, one close to each row, making nearly a double hoeing, which, if the rows can be distinctly or readily seen, is the best manner for the first hoeing. WEEDING. The weeders, upon their hands and knees, should follow close upon the last hoeing, with onion- weeders, made from table knives by breaking off the blades to two or two and a half inches from the han- dles, and heating the end to bend it a little to one side, so as to fit it to the curve of the thumb, and cooling it immediately, to return its temper. The back should then be ground to an edge, and the corners rounded, so as to work it in either hand. The weeds should be cut off below the crowns of their roots, say half an inch under ground, or, which is better, loosen the ground two inches deep on each side of the row, by drawing the knife or weeder, thrust into the ground to the handle, and turned a little sideways in the hand, at a steep angle towards and on one side of the row, and two inches from it, and then by changing hands, on the other, when, if properly done, the ground will be loosened, so that the weeds can easily be scraped or nulled out with their roots, and then the earth should Oe pressed back upon the roots of the onions by the palms of the hands, to hold them firm, and to prevent withering if they have been injured. The weeds will cause much more injury to the crop if not eradicated, than they will suffer from cutting off the onion-roots two inches under ground, which is not necessary, and should be avoided, but may occasionally happen. In two weeks or less they will require another hoe ing and weeding similar to the last, and a fortnight after, hoeing again, if not weeding. There should be no hilling or hauling away of dirt, but the surface should be kept level. GATHERING. When the tops die and fall', the crop should be pulled and spread evenly over the ground to dry or cure. The scallions (thick-necked or green onions) with the weeds, if any, should be thrown into heaps or carried off. After three or four days' drying, turn them over carefully with the teeth of a wooden rake, without bruising, and let them dry as many days more; or instead, as they preserve a brighter color, put them into heaps of two to four bushels, to sweat a few days, when, if intended for early market, cut the dead tops off one inch from the bulbs, and barrel to send away; but if wished for storing, they may bo left in heaps some weeks, or carried under cover on a floor with the tops on, and piled around the sides of a barn floor, three feet high, or put into bins with slats on the sides, and not close, like open horse- stalls, fill- ing every other one, and putting strips of boards across the ends and through them, or slanting them up so as 'not to need supports, and leave all the doors open. After a week or ten days' drying as above, put them under cover in any airy place, as a shed, but watch and examine every few days to see if they are gather- ing moisture, heating and growing; if so, open and spread to dry again. STORING FOE WINTER. If the onions are to be kept upon a barn or other floor, pile them one foot and a half or two feet deep, leaving a space of one to two feet all around. Cover them with one thickness of sheets to keep out hay-seed, chaff, etc., and when hard freezing weather sets in, cover one to two feet deep with hay, straw, or any similar substance, filling all the spaces around the heap. Do not disturb them if frozen, until the frost is out, which may be hastened by opening the doors and removing a portion of the cov- ering each day for a week. A wagon or wood-house tightly boarded, floored, and fitted up with a bin or bins as follows, is undoubt- edly the best place, and such as one of our oldest onion-cultivators, after long and sad experience, has adopted and used for some years with perfect success. Set up scantlings for a stall or bin, of three to five feet wide ; on these nail two or three tiers of ten-inch boards two or three inches apart, and as far above the floor, leaving a wide space, two to four feet at each end, to pass round, and for free circulation of air. Thee place every three to four, feet, before the onions fill up, on each board, cross-boards eight or ten inches wide. 20 HOW TO TCAISE ONIONS. resting or. each tier of side-boards, with cleets on each end, like a wagon-board for a seat one or two hogs- head staves side by side are the cheapest, if the width of the bin is calculated for them, with similar strips resting on these, in number according to the width of the bin, about one foot apart, running lengthwise and thus on each tier of side-boards as they are filled, using loose side-boards for the top, as high as wished or needed. The ends may be filled up, slanting so as to support themselves, or cross-boards may be fitted in. The spaces under the staves or flat boards will effectu- ally ventilate and prevent heating. The onions should be well dried and have their tops left on, and when first frozen be covered with one or more thicknesses of carpets or old garments, and have them hung around t'heir sides. Freezing does them no apparent injury, if !^.CP cst <\ tb of mice. No. XI. BY H. WADE, FLOYD CO,, IOWA. FIRST select the best and brightest-looking onions, tor seed, and plant them in rows about two feet apart, one foot in the row, and when they grow up, drive stakes and draw twine along, to keep the heads in their place, until ripe. Then cut them off and tie in bunches of about a dozen heads, and hang them in a shed, where the wind does not blow very much, for a time, and then rub out and spread thin for a few days be- fore putting away for winter, and thus good seed for spring may always be had. Now for preparing the ground. I have grown onions on almost all kinds of soil, but the best on a sandy loam. In preparing my garden, out here in the West, I fixed on a place to grow my onions. I dug it two good spades deep and mixed it as well as I could. The soil was pretty sandy and not very rich, but very dry. In the fall I put on good rotten manure of any kind I could get, about four inches thick, and let it lie all winter, and as soon as dry enough in spring, I mixed (t altogether about eight inches deep with a good four- toothed fork. (When I raised them in fields I used a cultivator for this part of the work.) I then let it lie a few days to dry, and then dragged perfectly, until four inches of the surface was all quite fine. I have a marker that marks four drills at a time, one foot apart, about one inch deep. A small seed-sower is best for plant- ing. Care must be taken not to sow too thick, unless you are near a market where you can sell green onions ; then it does not signify, as thinning loosens the soil for what is left. Rake them in lightly, lengthwise thd rows, so as not to get the seed out of the drill ; then with a light hand-roller go evenly over the piece each way, and leave it till the onions make their appear- ance. In cultivating, use a light sharp tooth-rake, head nine inches long, teeth one and a half inches apart, handle six feet long. It is better than a hoe, as you can loosen the soil close to the rows without cut- ting the roots, and if you made a good seed-bed, a man will do as much again with a rake as a hoe. Rake over every week if the weather permits, as soon as it is dry enough after a hard rain to keep the top from crusting. Attend to this at first well, and you will not regret it. About June, as soon as the onions are up enough, thin out to about four inches in the row, pulling out at the same time what few weeds are growing with them, and after that, you may run the small rake between the rows occasionally. Onions may always be on one spot in a garden, but you must manure pretty well every fall, after the ground has been dug. Once in two years dig two spades deep ; and if a stiff clay soil, put stones or something at the bottom, for an under- drain. Good well-rotted barnyard manure is as good as any to manure with. I have grown them three years in one place, and last year I had the best and handsomest I ever saw. You could hardly teU one from the other. When the tops begin to fall down, I go over them EXPERIENCE OP PRAOTICAL GBOWERS. 21 and press them all gently down with a rake-head, or something of that sort, and as soon as the roots let go of the soil, I use a wooden-toothed rake and turn them over, if it is likely to be fine a day or two, and then pick them up and carry them to a shed or barn-floor, and lay them out thin, till perfectly dry. After this, a good dry cellar I believe is the best place to keep them. They told me in Illinois when I left, that I could not grow onions in Iowa as I did there, but I find I can ; and I oelieve better ; but I have not begun to grow them in the field yet, as we have no market for them. They pay well if you have a market, if you manure well, and care for them as you should. No. XII. BY J. B. WAKEMAN, FAIRFIELD CO,, CT. IT is over twenty-five years since I raised my first crop of onions. I commenced with two rods of ground, and have increased to eight acres. There is but one place in the United States where more onions are raised than here ; that is in Danvers, Mass., where it has been stated they raise more than 200,000 bushels a year. But New- York market is mostly supplied from this section. It would be rather a low estimate to place the yield of this town at 140,000 bushels a vear. Great crops were formerly raised in "Wethers- field, but of au inferior quality, rather small, and sent to market in bunches. I think I can say, from the time that I first com- menced raising onions, up to the present time, I have raised more bushels to the acre than any other person about here. The first and most important item is the seed. It is very important to know what kind of onions it was raised from. In other crops we can generally tell by the looks of the seed, whether it is good or not. Not so with onions. It is impossible to tell by the looks of the seed whether it will raise scallions, or the flat onion, or the round deep onion, which is mostly raised in this section. There was a great deal of seed bought in New- York last year, by the farmers near here, which raised mostly scallions without bottoms. It has been estimated by many that it was a loss to them of from ten to twelve thousand dollars. It would be some satisfaction to know from what kind of onions it was raised. I think it must be onions that were grown on a poor soil, and were not fit for market, but left until the next year for seed. I raised the flat onion when I first commenced the business. They will not yield one third as much as the round onion ; so we can not judge what the result will be if we do not know what kind of onions our seed was raised from. We have, by selecting the large round deep onion from year to year, improved o\ir quality and quantity, so that we raise six to nine hundred bushels where we once raised not more than three to five hundred bushels. "We select the most solid, largest, deepest, and brightest for seed. Seed- onions should be kept from freezing. A light freezing will sometimes injure the chit or germ. The best ground for raising them is level land with a deep soil, free from stones. But I have raised them successfully on gravelly soil and quite stony. I pre- fer, however, a deep loamy soil. I would plant the ground with corn or potatoes I prefer corn one or two years. It should be highly manured, and not a single weed allowed to go to seed. "When the corn- crop is gathered, prepare the ground in the fall for the next year's crop of onions, by putting on twenty cart- loads of well-rotted manure, fifty bushels to the load, per acre. It should be free from weed-seed, and ploughed in deep, and not harrowed in the fall. I have ploughed my ground both spring and fall, manuring at the same time. It is not more than half the work to prepare ground for the seed, that was ploughed in the .fall, and the yield is as good, if not better Hog- manure is the best, but any kind of strong manure will do. All manure should be free from seed. Manure, either fine or coarse, should be ploughed in deep. If ashes are to be had, put on one to two hundred bushels to the acre. The crop of onions will pay for them the first year, and they will last from five to eight years. Bone dust is a fine manure. The ground in the spring should be prepared for the seed as soon as it is dry, by harrowing with tooth and brush, until the ground is level. It will not do to have the ground too mellow. It should be rather hard to have the onions bottom well. It needs to be very mellow, about an inch deep, and raked off" level. It requires from three to four pounds of seed to the acre. I sow them by a machine made very simple, and costing from two to four dollars. It sows two rows at once, twelve inches apart, the wheels being six inches from the hoppers that drop the seed. The first row must bo perfectly straight, which will be a guide to the second, and so on. To cover them up, I take a hoe that stands in well, and push it along over the line where the seed is. "When they get up so that I can see the rows, I commence hoeing them, and as soon as there are any weeds to be seen, weed them ; and continue to hoe and weed as long as there is a weed to be seen. It will not pay to sow a piece of onions if they are not taken care of, and no crop pays better if well tended. There are some farmers that lose one third or more of their crop by not taking proper care of them, and let* 22 HOW TO EAISE ONIONS ting vie weeds grow after the onions have attained some size. If one intends to raise them year after year on the same piece of ground, (and they will grow as well by heavy manuring as they did the first year,) he must not let a single weed go to seed. If the right kind of seed and plenty of manure are used, and the ground cultivated as it ought to be, we may expect from five to eight hundred bushels to the acre. If the ground is free from weeds as it should be, when the crop is gathered in, so much the better for the next year's crop. "When most of the onions get ripe, I let them dry one or two days, and when dry rake them in windrows, and when little damp, either at night or morning, pile them up in small heaps, and let them stand till they have no moisture in the top. When it comes a drying day, spread them out, and when perfectly dry, cart them in. They can be kept from two to six feet thick if they are well cured, and put where the air can circulate around them, till very cold weather, and then they must be kept from being frozen too much. It seemed to me the hardest work that I had ever done, to weed the first piece I planted, and it cost more to cultivate my first two rods of ground, than it has ao acre since, owing to the ground being full of foul seeu. Onions are the most profitable crop that a farmer can raise, and the quantity has been increased from three hundred to nine hundred bushels per acre, and I think one thousand bushels or more can be grown by proper cultivation. Red onions are now wholesaling at three dollars per barrel, and white ones at four dol lars per barrel. One year I sold my onions at one dol- lar a bushel, and sent them to market in the fall be- fore housing. I have sold red onions as high as five dollars a barrel, and white ones at six dollars. There has been no time within twelve years, but that onions would bring two dollars a barrel in the course of the year. There is one thing that farmers have to com- plain of, and that is, it costs us so much before the onions get into the consumers' hands. It costs us about twenty cents a barrel to send them to New- York, and they are sold to wholesale dealers, who make from twenty-five to fifty cents a barrel, and so it cosls us from sixty cents to one dollar per barrel before they get into the consumers' hands. No. XIII. BY LOUIS STRADER, GREEN CO., KY. POTATO ONIONS are the only variety much cultivat- ed in the G-reen river country. They are a very pro- lific, mild, and well-flavored vegetable. The sets grow from the roots, numbering from four to fifteen from each onion, and are much larger than the sets from the red onions; they are not quite so hardy, however. Select the largest and best-shaped sets to raise from. They attain their full size the first year after planting. To raise the seta, select large, sound, and well-formed onions. PLANTING, CULTIVATION, ETC. I much prefer plant- ing in the fall ; ihey come mach earlier, the yield is larger, and they are safer in the ground after planting than elsewhere through the winter. Plant about the middle of October for this latitude, earlier further north, and later as you go south. Select a situation gently sloping to the south, a rich, dry, loamy soil, nighly manured with well-rotted stable-manure. Plough or spade up the land some nine inches deep, when the ground is in good working condition. Avoid working the land when too wet, as it causes it to bake, which is a great drawback to the growth of onions. Pulver- ize the soil thoroughly with a hand-rake, by drawing it back and forth until all the clods are broken fine. Cut two sticks 18 inches long, and tie one to each end of a line, which should be as long as the piece of ground intended for planting, and with it mark off the ground in rows 18 inches asunder, using the sticks at each end of the line as a measure, sticking them down to hold the line well stretched. Scrape out the drills by the side of the rope deep enough to hold the onions, so that the top may be even with the surface of the ground. Then place the large onions in the drills nine inches from each other, and the sets six inches from centre to centre, and fill up the drill with well-rotted stable-manure. Next, draw up the fine earth so as to make the drill in a ridge, in order to protect the onions from too much freezing. This ridge should be scraped off in the spring, when they begin to grow. If the fall should be favorable, they will soon come up ; they should be covered up before hard weather sets in, with corn-stalks, hay, or something of the sort, to protect them during winrer. They should be uncovered in the spring after the ground ceases to freeze. After this, they should be well worked with a hoe once a week, until they are fully grown, taking care not to disturb the roots too much. About this time the earth should be scraped from them, to uncover the top of the onions, that they may be exposed to the sun, which will ripen them. The earth should not be scraped from them until somo of the tops begin to fall over on the ground. Let them remain in this condition until the tops are dead and nearly dry. They should then be pulled up, and EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICAL GROWERS. tied in bunches, and hung up in an open shed, until thoroughly seasoned ; or if the crop is large, they may be spread thin in an open left, until seasoned, when they may be barrelled up and sent to market. The above mode of cultivation applies to sets as well as to the grown onion?. The sets should be taken up and treated in the same manner as the large onions. If they are not planted in the fall, they should be planted in the spring as early as the ground will bear working, observing the same directions as in fall planting ; omitting the covering of them. In the northern and middle parts of the United States, sets, and other onions designed for planting, should be kept in a warm and dry cellar, boxed up and mixed with dry dirt that is, when they are not planted in the fall. RED ONIONS are not so prolific, are very strong and highly scented, but are hardy, ulverize as fine as possible. Strike out your ground EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICAL GROWERS. 29 In handsome form. Thea if you have e-nough ground to pay, get a professional seed-sower. lie will come with a little machine, and sow three or four rows at a time as fast as he can walk. Gauge your machine so as to have the onions, when grown, so near as to touch each other. But have the rows so far apart, that a common hoe will pass between. Do not be afraid of tramping your ground, especially if the soil is light. WEEDING. As the roots of onions, many of them, grow near the surface, do not chop down deep with your hoe to cut them off; many a good bed of onions has been spoiled by late weeding, by disturbing the ground too deeply. I like to have my onions hoed in the morning, while the dew is on. If you are going to raise onions indeed, don't be afraid of soiling your knees. Do not cover up the onion too deep, nor leave ".t so as te fall this way and that, by taking away too much dirt from it. "TopONioxs" OR "POTATO." When your ground is ready, have a sort of furrowing instrument. It is a home-made thing. Make a thing just like a rake, with no teeth in it ; then put in as many teeth as you wish <;o mark rows with, once going across the bed. Or instead of teeth, nail on rockers. Then push the rake so made, before you. And when you return, place the end-rocker in the outside furrow ; thus do until your rows are all marked. SOWING. Take your onions or seed in a basket by your side, go down on your knees, and put in one at a time. But be sure you put it right end up, or the onion will grow heels over head. Cover the seed just out of sight. SALT. When you have done planting or sowing your onions, whatever kind they are, sow on salt, common salt. Sow as thick as peas. I would do this again, perhaps in June, not so much the last time. Whether field or garden onions, go out in the morning while the dew is on, or after a shower, take dry unleached ashes, and with a shingle throw them up into the air, and let them fall in a cloud of dust on the onions. Repeat this two or three times while the onions are growing. And I had forgotten to say that coal-dust, taken from old coal-pits or from forges, with leached ashes coated on, and well mixed in the groui il before ploughing, will well pay. If your land is quite clayey, leave out the ashes. I think the coal-dust and salt, besides very much quickening the growth of these vegetables, keep off the maggot-fly. Go into store-cellars, where they have sold fish and meat, and they will give you the salt and brine. And when you are about it, get all they can spare. Then if you have any to spare, put it on your muck heap, for other crops. If you are at a loss what kind of onions to cultivate, inquire for the greatest yielders and the quickest to sell. Then the onions you wish to keep for your own use, trace them up and hang them in a dry place until well seasoned, then hang them in the cellar-way for all winter. If you have any to sell, take a fair specimen of them ; then go and show them where you wish to sell. But by all means do not let them remain long on your hands. If you keep them long in heaps, they will rot. And then you had better have any thing else. Let them slide at the then present prices. You can well afford them for fifty cents a bushel, but you will oftener get a dollar. For your seed potato-onions, you should have from two dollars to two and a half per bushel. The seed of the top -onions I have usually sold for from four to five dollars per bushel. I have sent out barrels of this seed to distant States, though I have none now to sell. Of the top-onions, I have raised at the rate of seven hundred bushels per acre. And one of my neighbors, who followed my directions, raised at the rate of eight kundred per acre. But I have never seen any kind that yields so well as the Wethersfield reds. If you wish to get good onions in June, set out any kind of an old onion, and when the top begins to form as if to go to seed, cut off the main stalk, and it will bottom. But these bottoms will never winter, but rot. Eat them green, or supply the market. If you want good, new, fresh onions in May, go to the woods, and search in low places, and there gather leeks. Or if you prefer it, raise cives, which are the lowest species of the onion. 30 HOW TO RAISE ONIONS. THE ONION FLY, Anthomyia Ceparum. Fig. 1. IN travelling through the county of Essex, N. T., a short time since, particularly along the beautiful plains in the vicinity of the Au-Sable River, I had my atten- tion repeatedly attracted to the withered and sickly appearance of nearly all the fields of onions, through which I passed. Upon inquiring the cause, I was in- variably told that it was the effects of a worm, and that it was extremely doubtful if a single tuber Jn a healthful condition would be obtained in a hundred plants. This excited my curiosity, and on raising the bulbs from the earth, I had little difficulty in recogniz- ing the larva of a Dipterous (two-winged) insect, be- longing to a species which in England, as well as in many other parts of Europe, for the last twenty years, have almost entirely destroyed the onion crops, upon the cultivation of which so considerable an amount of labor and experience have been expended. To such a degree have their ravages extended in those countries, Flg.S. Fig. 8. that the husbandmen have been driven to the necessi- ty of abandoning the culture of this important vegeta- ble, not having yet met with any efficient remedy for the destruction of their enemy. Much uncertainty still seems to prevail among ento- mologists respecting the peculiar habits and instincts of this little depredator, and we greatly fear that they will long remain in ignorance, unless some interested and intelligent individual, residing on the spot, and having daiiy access to the plants, shall establish a genes ot practical observations on their habits, and in this manner trace them through their various stages of existence, up to the perfect fly. Until this is ac- complished, and not till then, will we with any degree of certainty be able to suggest any reasonable method for effectually removing them. If it be not dona speedily, a knowledge of the prolific manner of their increase, makes it probable that they will, in the course of but a few years, spread <*ver the whole country, and almost, if not entirely, obliterate this highly useful vegetable from our gardens. This insect depredator is, I think, undoubtedly the Anthomyia ceparum, of Meigen, or a species so closely allied, as to differ but little from it in any of its hajrits. It is shown at e, fig. 1, somewhat magnified, the ac- tual length being indicated by the perpendicular, and the spread of the wings by the horizontal line, below the cut of the fly ; c and d, same fig., show the pupa, from which the insect emerges, c being the natural size, and d magnified. It belongs to the second gen- eral division of the Muscides, that of the Anthomyzides, which is composed of species, all of whom have greatly the appearance of common flies. The larva of this insect, a in fig. 2, is about of an inch in length, fleshy, and of a white color. It is of a conical form, with a smooth and shining surface, anm also to inculcate knowledge and sound moral principles. TERMS ENGLISH EDITION. 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