Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-17
The Culture of Onions.

OQlke many Obn6r vegetables uG onion
can be grown year after year on the same
land without any apparent deterioration.
The cabbage family, leguminOus plants,
the tomato and Irish potato require r0-
tatiOn, else they soon inherit disease and
make poor returns. In some sections Of
New England it has been stated that
onions have been grown cOnsecutively on
the same land for over twenty-five years
and very large crops have been made on
soils so rocky that covering the seed was
an extremely tedious operation. This
land, however, was made very rich with
stable manure combined with mineral
manures. Like Irish pOtations, onions
require plenty of potash and must be
sown or planted early to give them a good
start on grass and weeds. 1t is a crop
that, when crown from the seed sOwn in
spring, requires very careful and prompt
cultivation. Early onions are extensively
grown in the South in both private and
market gardens. This early crop gene
rally is grown from sets put out in the fall
and early winter, and then again in early
spring. This crop has to be marketed very
promptly, for it is disposed to rot very
promptly after becoming matured in the
hot weather Of Mag and June. Very few
of these onions can be preserved over for
winter, but if any reader has been able to
preserve this crop successfully until win
ter l hope he will tell us how it is done.
The onion grown from sets put out in the
fall are certainly more predisposed to rot
than those grown from seed sOWn in early
February. Doubtless this is owing to the
extremes of heat and cold that they I'M
dergO, or, perhaps to some extent, it may
arise from the onion sets having heated
before planting. AT any rate, to these or
to other causes combined the difficulty Of
preserving them may be attributed.
In a considerable experience with this
crop, have found that the Italian onions
Queen" "ROcca" and others are very
easily grown from seed in this latitude
sown in the latter part of January and
along through February. just before the
tops are dead (but the bulb about ma
tured the onions should be pulled and
left until cured. These braided and hung
in airy lofts l have found keep perfectly
until winter; one or two in a string may
rot, but most of them have kept. | aim
to test this question more fully this year
( than misunderstanding to SOW our
American sorts along with the Italian, the
Bermuda and Ell Paso varieties for the
sake of comparison as to growing and
keeping qualities. About the only cheap
thing this year is onion seed-good Anne
rican sorts being quoted at 70 cents to
81 % per pound.
Near the cities and larger towns shall
| lots may be grown to some profit, but the
market is soon surteited with them.
A very desirable variety of onion, espe-
! ciaIly In the family garden, is the potato
! onion, entirely distinct from the shallOt or
| common onion. Its habit of growth is
more like that Of the gladiolus or garlic,
| forming a cluster of bulbs under the sur
! face of the soil. They are very product
| i've and keep well. They are now quoted
in Philadelphia at So to Sc per bushel. At
! one-third these prices it would be very
| remuneratiye crop.
Onion seed may be sown in the fall but
! the young onions are liable to be killed by
! such freezes as we had the past month. 1
noted half acre of Giant Rocca, about
| four inches high, thus killed. Those grow
! ing from sets put out in October were cut
! down worse than L have ever observed
! befOre-abOut One-fOurth were killed out
/ entirely. Those not killed are putting out
/ new leaves rapidly. Ordinarily the young
| onions from seed sOwn in October and
! early November are not seriously injured
! by cold, but the past winter was more Sc
| we're on vegetation even than the winter
\ of 1880. The New Queen" an Italian
! onion, can be sOwn any time this month
! or next and will make good sized onions
! by July LIST, and when well cured and
! braided can be kept until winter. 1t is
! not a large onion at best, but is a good
! keeper. 1t is fiat. The Giant Rocca is
! glObular and grows to very large size
! under high culture. l have grown them
| to weigh Is pounds per dozen, which is
nothing like as large as they may be made
| to grow. Occasionally a weight of 4
! pounds each has been attained. Very
| large onions, however, are not desirable,
/ as they do not keep so well as small ones,
/ and in no respect is desirable except a
/ few for show. 1t IS very important that
! fresh seed may be used, else disappOint-
ment is very apt to follow Seed over one
| year old are generally almost worthless.
If the seed are fresh and sOwn thinly there
will be no necessity for thinning out. On
| good land two inches apart is ample dis
! lance to make good size onion just right
| for culinary purposes. The cultivation of
| spring onions must begin very promptly,
for when weeds get a start on them it is
| very troublesome to get them clean, and
| hard work will have to be resorted to. AS
the onions grow the soil should be drawn
away from them so that they bulb entirely
above ground.
AS to manuring, nothing is better than
! a compost of fine stable manure, acid
phosphate or dissolved bone and kainit or
ashes. Only small part of it should be
applied in the drill-reserving at least
tWO-thirds to be used as a tOp-dressing af-
ter sowing or just after they are up.
Onion roots feed very near the surface,
and tb manure will be worked in to the
right depth for them by the hoe and har-
row. SAM. A. COOK.
Hj1gr0a near HjIIp10eriILe Ga Feb II