Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1882-03-22
AGRICULTURE.

How To RAiaR FIsI ONIoxs.-Any land
that will raise good crop Of COIN, except
stltf clay or grsvelly soil, Is suitable for
onions. We select sandy loan with .
light mixture of clay, as 1t is eesiea TO work
and produces good crops. Land that has
been worked two years previously in hoed
crops, and kept entirely free from weeds,
would be in desirable condition to COM
mence With. Gather of any refuse that
may be on it, and in October apply fifty
cart loads of manure to an acre. The ma
nure should have been twice turned during
the previous summer, and well fermented,
to destroy any weed seeds that may be In
it. Spread the manure evenly on the land,
and plow it under, taking narrow furrow
which will mix the manure more thorough
ly with the soil This will be all the pre-
paration needed IN the fall. As early In
the spring as the ground can be worked
without injury. give it thorough dragging
nrst with an iron drag. then with q brush
drag, after which rake the entire piece with
steel hand rakes- Stretch your line per-
fectly straight along outside cf your bed.
then with 3 wooden nsrker-containing
five teeth fourteen inches apart-mark on
your ground, running your outside tooth
along the line; returning, place the outside
tooth in the last mark, and follow it for
guide, repeating this operation until the
piece is all marked. We use a seed drill
with q roller attached. Most Of the drills
ave places in the bottom OF the feed box
numbered; No. usually sowing pounds
of seed TO the acre, No. i've pounds, No.
six pounds. Sow the thinnest when
large onions are wanted, provided you can
rely on the seed. Procure good seed at
whatever price, for without it all your la
Dor will be lost. Cover the seed half an
inch deep. As soon as the onions are up
80 they can be seen the length Of the row,
give them the first hoelng, just skimmIng
the ground between the rows. We use
hoe made expressly for that purpose. The
blade is eight Inchss long and one and
half broad, with long, crooked shank
set in . handle five feet long, The shape
Of the hoe allows the earth TO pass ove- the
blade without moving it out of is place.
In few Gays after give them the second
hoeipg, this time close up to the plants,
after which wedding must be commenced.
This operation requires to be carefully and
uOHC, kAC WcCuCi
down to his work on his knees astride Of
the row, stirring the earth around the
plants, in order TO destroy any weeds that
have Just started and cannot be seen In
ten days or two weeks they will require
another hoeing and wedding similar to the
last, and two weeks later give them still
another hoeing. and if necessary, another
wedding. II the work has been thorough
ly done, and at the proper time, the crop
will not need anything more until ready to
gather When the tops die and fall, the
crop should be pulled and spread evenly
on the ground to dry in ,bout week after
beng pulled, turn, or rather stir them with
a wooden rake, and when the tops have
bee Jme perfectly dry, cut them of one
half an irch from the bulb. When the
crop is designed for market, it Should MOI
be exposed 10 the weather longer tnan ne
cess.ry TO cure the crop, as the onions will
lose their bright color by exposure.