Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-04-08
Raising Onions.

know Of no crop which requires the cul-
tivator to be more persevering and to attend to
his duties more punctually than that Of On
ions. From the time the seed is in the ground
until they are in the market, there is no peri
cd when they can be left without receiving his
attention. Ii this be given, perhaps there is
no crop which pays better for the labor than
this.
The soil best suited for the onion is a clay
loan; if gravelly they will dry up before
they mature, and if too wet they cannot be
sown early enough in the Spring The long
or the ground has been under cultivation the
better as they will not bottom on new soil or
where it is very light or sandy. Many put
the manure on the ground in Autumn and
pillow it in, then harrow down in the Spring
without re-plowing. The manure should be
stacked and turned over once or twice and
well heated in order to have it fine and free
from weeds. Long manure besides being in
the way during cultivation is apt 10 make
the ground too light.
Most people prefer Fall blowing, as the
soil is apt to be lumpy if plowed in the
Spring, and will not be fit for sowing as ear
ly as if previously plowcd. If Fall plowed,
it should be well narrowed with an iron tooth
harrow in the Spring, followed by the bush
harrow until made as level as possible. l
have found the best mode of making bush
harrow for this purpose is to take plank
feet long, 8 inches wide, aud 2 thick, bore
holes in it and put in fine brush. Then ias-
ten the chain so it will draw from the top.
and it will keep ridge of dirt in front Of il
which will gil all holes and leave the ground
nearly smooth. 1t should then be raked
over by the hand rake-I think wooden
one is the best-and all small stones removed
! A machine costing about three dollars and
drawn by hand, makes two drills at time
one foot apart, and drop the seed at the rate
of about four pounds to the acre. This il
covered by showing hoe, or drawing a rake
lengthwise the drills. The time for sowing
is as soon as the ground is dry enough, which
is the middle Of April
AS soon as they are up enough to see thu
rows in the morniug-they can be seen at tha
time much sooner than at any ether-theJ
should be gone through carfuily with ho1
about eight inches wide and only one and :
half deep. A hoe like this lets the dirt slide
oyer it, leaves the ground level, and is high
to handle. As soon as the weeds which arr
tout up by the hoe are dead, the weeder Should
crawl over each row usinga hoe about two in
ches wide and three-fourths of an ZACH doe]
with handle about eight inckes Icing, cuttin!
up what he can draw with the hoe and pull
ling the remainder. For this part Of tn
work trusty boys are better than men. Abou
this time ii coat Of patience and perserranc
) is generally necessary TO insure good crop
From this time they should be kept perfect,
clear from weeds, for if they once get over
run your crop is ruined. They generally re
quire to be gone over four times. When til
tops are nearly dead, which is generally i
August, they are fit to pull. IF they do wei
the tops will fall down before they dry ur
As the onions are pulled the weeds should b
all hoed up and raked into piles, to proven
them from going to seed Leave the onion
1spread on the ground u few days. Some pee
pie pile them up putting three or four bushel
) in each heap and let them stand in this wa
for two or three weeks. This gives them tim
to sweat before housing them. They shoul
never be put in when damp as they will gro
more and more so. turning black and re-
The best place to keep them until cold weatl
er, is under cover where they will have plent
of air and can be kept perfectly dry. The
lshould never be more than three feet thick G
the floor. If required to be kept throug
the winter they should be put in a tight plat
and we'll covered to keep the air from then
Moderate freezing will not spoil them if a
lowed to remain covered and unmoved ant
they thaw. A common cellar is generall
: too warm and damp to keep them well
G the roots begin to start they should be move
and dried. From four to six hundred bus!
els pera is common crop