Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1883-03-21
Are Onions an Exception.
An exchange says ;


alma beans, like onions, are an excep-
tion to the general rule that requires rota-
tion in farm crops. Isaac Eyre stated at a
Pennsylvania agricultural societys meet
ing recently, that the Landreths have
raised Limas on the same ground for many
years with much the same experience as
results from raising onions in the same
way"
1t takes long time to get rid of a false
idea that has once become prevalent. Peo-
pie go on believing and repeating it, with
out observing on every side facts that COM
pletely refute it. This one about onions
being the only, or almost the only, crop
that can be grown year after year on the
same ground, is faced down by hundreds OF
facts with which the very men who keep
repeating it are well acquainted. We all
know that corn has been grown on the same
ground continually, in the west, ever since
the country was settled. Hundreds of peo-
pie are now swarming into Dakota because
they believe, rightly or not, that wheat can
be raised continuously in the valley Of the
Red river. And history tells us that the
Egyptians have been growing "corn in the
Nile valley upon the same fields since long
before the time when Joseph taught Pha-
raoh how to provide against a series of bad
crops. And in every garden of the world
the same crops are grown continuously with
out failure.
Yet there is kernel of truth in almost
every falsity. The small end of the truth
in this superstition about onion.growing is
also the rational basis of the practice
known as "rotation of crops" Experience
has taught that when land has fallen in
fertility until it ceases to produce crop Of
one kind continuously, crop of another
kind may yet often be grown on the same
land. But, unless the land be manured, it
will be a short time only before exhaustion
has proceeded so far that nothing of value
will be produced. There is not plant food
enough left in the ground in an available
form for the production of any crop.
Where plant can find its food in a sutfi.
cient quantity it will grow and make a
crop. If the farmer or gardener keeps up
the supply of plant food he may keep up
the successful culture of that plant on the
same spot for an indefinite length of time.
Onions must have rich land to succeed.
Therefore we keep the land rich, and find
that we can keep on growing onions on the
same land for many years. In a garden
kept rich we find We can do the same with
Lima beans, tomatoes, beets strawberries, OF
adapted TO the soil and climate, and is not
overcome by insect enemies. 1t is often
said that onions grow better and better
when continuously grown on the same piece
of ground. This looks like carrying the
ory too far, reducing it to an absurdity, yei
it is often practical fact The reason fol
it, however, is no mystery to the observing
cultivator. 1t is perfectly accounted for by
the fact that, as rule, people begin grow
ing onions on land that has not been sufi
ciently well prepared for that crop; and al
they keep on manuring and working it they
get it more completely fitted to the crop
and of course get better result. There il
also another reason. When the crop is har
vested the soil is left full of onion roots
which decay during the winter and furnish
to the new crop quantity of food exactl.
suited to its needs and ready for use. Th'
same we have found to be the case will
corn, when raised continuously on the sam,
land,