Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-01-09
FARM AND GARDEN.
Cultivation OF the Onion.

There is a large and growing demand
for onions, and it is one of the most re-
munerative crops Shat can be grown
Those who intend to cultivate the onion
should make the necessary PREPARATION in
time. Mr.. Thomas Fulton, Of Wayne
county, Pa, communicates to the Amer
lean Agriculturist the following sug-
gestions upon the subject
Qualities Of L0nd.-To raise a good crop
of onions, the land is required to be, 1st.
New, that is lately brought in from rich
sod, and then there will be but few weeds
TO contend with in the culture; ID. Rich
on the top: the land cannot be too rich for
onions, but the richness should be on the
top Of the land as the onion roots will not
descend into the ground more than an inch
or an inch and half at furthest; and 3d.
The land should be well settled, as, if the
land be rich and soft, the onions will grow
to tops, or what are called lin Europe)
"scallions," but if the land has been well
settled, they will grow TO roots, or what is
called onions
Preparation Of GrOlad.-To obtain the
above results, the land should be prepared
the previous year. In Europe, especially
in the north Of Ireland, where onions are
extensively raised as a paving crop for
market the land generally rich sod) is
ploughed early in spring, neatly and light,
into narrow ridges, say five feet ridge and
furrow, and about the middle of May, the
land is narrowed, and the manure (gooj
barnyard) put on the ridges are lined out
four feet wide, and the manure spread
evenly and broken fine. 1t is then planted
with potatoes. The seed is dropped in
rows across the ridge, about eight inches
apart in the row, and the rows about foot
from each other The potatoes are then
covered about an inch deep out Of the fur
row, the mould spread evenly and broken
fine. They remain go until the potato
plants begin to appear, or when the "buds"
are bursting the top of the land. Then the
burrows are dug with a spade, and the
mould broken fine in them; the mould is
shoveled out of the furrow, and spread
evenly over the ridge about two inches
deep, after which they require no more
labor Except wedding, which should not
be neglected lest the seeds of the weed re-
main and give trouble in the ensuing CROP
until the fall, when the potatoes are fit for
digging up. This is done with a spade
the ridge is all dug over evenly, the pota.
toes picked up, care being taken to keep
the rich mould on top of the ridge
The land remains in this way until SOW
ing-time the ensuing spring. The land
is well raked with an iron garden-rake.
This will make sufficient mould. The
onion seed is then soWn, and covered by
raking it in it is then clapped over with
the back Of a spade, or by passing a hand.
roller over il this is called sowing on the
winter face and have never seen this
fail 10 produce a good crop of onions.
have seen acres prepared and raised in this
way.l
The objection to the above mode Of pre-
pairing the land in this country ia, that il
requires a good deal of manual labor, which
is scarce aud expensive here. Where this
is the case
Second MethOd.-I would say, pillow rich |
sod, SOW il in buckwheat and when the |
buckwheat is out and taken Of, pillow the
land neatly and light into narrow ridges, |
FIVE feet ridge and furrow let it remain for |
some time TO settle and rot any weeds, then |
harrow well and put on the manure. Mark |
or line out the ridges four feet wide, leav-
ing one foot for a furrow spread the ma |
nure evenly, and break it fine. Trench up /
the burrows and cover the manure evenly, |
let the land remain until sowing in the |
spring, and prepare and put in the onion |
seed on the "winter face" as above. / |
have not tried this, but believe it will be |
found to produce good crop.
Third Method.-To prepare the land the
fall previous to sowing the onion seed, for
small quantities. Dig the patch (intended
for onions) with a spade, a foot deep, turn
the top down, cover all grass or weeds, and
break IL fine. Then mark out the ridges
four feet wide leaving foot for furrow
between the ridges. Then take hoe, and
draw the mould evenly about an inch and
a half deep from halfway across the ridges
on either side, to the place marked ont for
the furroW; spread the manure on the
ridge thus hollowed) evenly, and break it
fine; shovel the mould collected on the
iurrow, and cover the manure, leave il so
until sowingstime the ensuing spring; then
rake it well, and then SOW the onion seed,
cover with the rake, and clap it over with
The back Of a spade
Fourth Method.-To prepare the land at
The time Of sowing the onion seed dig il
foot deep, mark out the ridges as in third
method, and spread on the manure, which
should be well~rotted COW dung. Horse
dung Is not good--it has a tendency TO get
dry and mouldy. Break the manure very
ine and cover il out of the furrow az inch
and half deep; pass the rake over il and
BOW the seed; cover with the rake and clap |
il well all over with spade to settle and
close the land. l have raised good crops
Df onions in both these ways. and the |
largest onions l ever raised, or saw raised |
we're In this last way; but the manure was
aiken out Of a privy and mixed with an
equal quantity Of house ashes.
In selecting the seed, 20 10 = respectable
seed store select that which has the least Z
smell or blind seeds in il. If it is new
'eed 1t is softer, and tastes stronger OF the
onion than If it is old seed. White globe
or white fat mixed with a little red. saw
,ne-third red, will do well.
Time for Scoring he Sced.-In this ooUn.
try we cannot tx certain time. In some
places and some seasons the land NAV be
'eady TO receive the seed earlier than al {
,thers; but when the frost is fully out and
he land dry enough FOR sowing, and vege-
alton has set In, then l would SOW the !
eed about n seed to the square inch is :
efficient. !
Wedding he OaioRs-When they come
lp, If weeds appear, pick them out as soon !
IS possible. You can with more safety 10 ,
he crop pull out the weeds when small 2
han If they are allowed to grow large 9
hen they are liable TO injure the roots Of L
he onions in pulling them, and if allowed
o grow large, they exhaust the land, the
Fhole strength Of which should go 10 raise
be onions.
Management Of As Orop.-When the r
Mons bSve got up 10 be pretty large in
be tops, (in Europe,) those Of them which
Q not show q disposition % make q head. :