Iron County register., 1882-03-09
Onion Culture.
bark up.

There is great deal of uncertainty
about growing onions. With the ut
most care to do everything needful, at
just the right time and in just the right
way, the grower is quite as likely to fail
as to succeed. Nevertheless, when all
conditions are favorable and a good crop
is secured, it is sure to pay a handsome
profit, for onions of fine quality will
always command good price in the
market.
The first condition of success in onion
culture is clean, rich soil, not too
light, as abundant moisture at the sur
face when the bulbs are forming is
essential to the production oflarge bulbs.
The second condition is a plentiful sup
ply of fertilizing matter, either thor0ugh-
IN rottcd stable manure or a CONNER
cial fertilizer whose quality is known to
be reliable. In any case, the fertilizer
must be easily soluble, so as to force the
young plants to immediate and vigorous
growth This should be freely applied,
as saving of plant-food at the begin
ing of the season will result in a loss of
crop at the end. The third condition is
a regular supply of water, especially at
the time the bulbs begin to form. This,
as we have already said, is essential, for
a check to the plants at this period can
not be overcome by any later supply of
moisture. 1t has been suggested that
perhaps the best method of obviating
this difficulty, next to thorough system
of irrigation, is to plant as early as pos
sible, so as to get the young plants past
the critical period before dry weather
sets in. Indeed, it is always desirable
to sow as early as the condition of the
ground will permit.
In preparing the land for sowing, it
should be well raked over, and made
smooth and as free from Jumps as possi-
ble Sow in drills from twelve to six
teen inches apart, putting the seed about
half an inch deep. 1t is well to SOW
quite thickly-about four pounds of
seed to the acre-to allow for loss by in
sects, etc., and thin out when the plants
are about the size of quills. In thinning
out great care should be taken to dis
turb those that remain as little as posi-
BILE. AS the onion grows on top of the
ground, the plants may be left quite
close together-say an inch apart-if
the soil has been thoroughly enriched.
No weeds must be allowed to grow.
Other plants may succeed if the weeds
do get the start of them for a little while,
but not so with the onion. From first
to last it must hold undisputed posses
sion of the soil, or the negligent cultiva-
tor will find himself minus his profits at
the close of the season. In hoeing,
whether to destroy weeds or to keep the
ground mellow, care must be taken not
to cover the young bulbs with earth.
This constant hoeing and wedding
makes the crop an expensive one, and a
large yield is required to pay the cost.
The best varieties, such as the Danvers
yellow and the large red, often yield six
to eight hundred bushels to the acre,
and anything below three hundred
bushels, at the average price, will hard
ly cover expenses.
There has been great deal of loss in
on-growing in some sections on ac-
count of mildew and the ravages of the
onion-maggot. No remedy. so far as
we know, has yet been discovered for
these enemies of the odorous bulb, and
the grower must take his chances with
them, hoping for the best, and accept.
ing the issue philosophically if his an
ticipations miscarry.-N. Y. Examiner.