Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1864-05-06
Onion Culture.

The cultivation of onions has OF late
been profitable in all places where there
was ready access to market. In crop
so variable as this, the experience OF sue
cessful growers is valuable. We have
published in 20 cent pamphlet the me-
thods followed by II successful practical
growers, but as Mr.. Theodore Barker,
Rockand county, n Y, has some details
of practice different from anything we
have seen, we add to the literature OF The
subject by publishing his communication :;
u grew last year (unfavorable as the
season was in my section) from plot of
ground thirty by forty feet, II bushels of
very fine onions. The soil was rather
light, and / applied broadcast about one
load of manure, consisting of well decom
posed barnyard manure about two thirds,
and one third swamp muck. This sho'd
be done as soon as the weather will ad
nit in the spring--still better in the au'
iumn-and powed under Immediately to
the depth Of about ten inches then
about the middle, or towards the latter
part Of April, give it another thorough
blowing, and as soon as the surface be
comes dry, barrow well with light, close
tooth harrow; then | top dress lightly
with well decomposed manure from the
barn yard--or still better from the privyI
or pig sly. | now proceed to drilling
with a marker Of my own manufacture,
made like hay rake, with five teeth fiji.
teen inches apart, which makes four drills
at a time, one tooth running in the out
side drill as guide. Then, with one
foot on each side Of the drill, drop and
cover the seeds lightly, packing the drills
with garden roller, Il consider this very
importantly This done, draw bayo-
net hoe through-soing before ito
loosen The ground packed while planting
this prevents a crust forming on the sur
face. When the onions are up so that
they can be seen, | again draw the bay
onet hoe through them, and continue to
do so occasionally until they are up about
five inches then thin them to about
three inchesmany would object to this
as being too close, but | have fourd that
by crowding each other some they bot =
tom better, and the consequence is they
form double row, thus making q larger T
yield. With small gaiden pillow pass =
the land side to them first, and immedi- u
ately reversing | throw a furrow toward y
hem this is done in order to protect
rom drouth many young fibrous roots Gu
which lay near the surface. This | con- TEL
ider the great secret in onion culture. no
This, however, should not be practised ed
90 late, but on the contrary, when the 90
On, are nm about twelve mr. fif,een ;ocbes die
he dirt should be taken from them, "r'
be roots have become strong by this
me and nenetrated further into the wi
arih, and are better able to stand the TN
routh, and the onions will bottom very sol
apidly. / am well aware that in order tel
o produce good onions, the ground must SD
,e kept perfectly level and hard; on the WI
contrary, ! find it needs to be kept loose, 1
and part of the time ridged. ! have
seen my own onions remaining high COL
pred and growing through a dry time, II
while those of my neighbors, who kept o'
their ground fat, were dying. Another u
sbsurdity is rolling barrels over the tops, "
in order to make the onions bottom. This u
/ never had occasion to do, as find that
the top becomes reduced and falls of it ol
self when the onions bottom. My mode st
of gathering is to pull them when the a.
tops are nearly dry, placing them thinly OF
together upon the ground, Gin this state g
they remain three or four days. then if u
dry, | top them with knife and put them II
upon the barn floor. Care must be tax en- n
not to have them very thick, or they will CO
sprou:. | allow them to remain here 81
four or five weeks, when they are put ia 81
bins, in a cool, dry place AS long as o.
the present large demand continues, on a
ion culture on suitable soils will pay we'll "
American Agicutarist. ''