The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-07-14
THE ODORTFEROUs ONION.
Words in Praise OF the Virtues of
Sighted Vegetable.

We gather from our Eastern market
reports that the demand for old onions
is falling off as the new crop IS COM
ing IN. We do not wonder. The new on
ion is as much the harbinger OF spring
I'M the markets as the biuebrd and the
robin are In the fields. II ought 10 be
gladly received. Crisp and gree1. not 100
strong. but with a "twang' that calls
for pepper and salt. oil. and vinegar,
what could our salads do ithout H. ana
what could we do without the salads!
or green onions may be eaten as they
are with only the addition III salt, ana
a man be never the worse. Ihey gar
nish q breakfast table in spring as rev
things can. not even new-lald eggs il
their pearly shells. And when late az
night after the play, or turn at desk
or books, one drops into club or restau-
rant the spring onion rises up before
the appetite like vision OF Already.
You cannot go 10 bed without It; with II
you can slumber as sweetly as an IN
FAINT
Not oppy. nor mandragrora,
Nor ali the drowsy syrups Of the world
Shall ever medicine thee to that sweet
sleep
So effectually as the humble onion.
Indeed. IL is a wonder that this delicl-
Gus vegetable has been neglected by the
culinary poets and writer's from Charies
Lamb down. II may be termed the YER
bena of the kitchen garden-modest ana
unobtrusive. but so hardy it cannot be
killed. and discovering itself ly its fra
GRANGE. An old poet wrote that a gentle
heart was like the sandal tree. which
perfumes the ak that lays II low. Inc
onion repays bruise in the same lash
ion. Lettuce Is delicious. and new rad
lsehs are a joy to the palate, but they
requre hotbeds and coddlng. while the
onion braves the rigors of the seyerest
winters. growing during every thaw,
keeping a stiff upper lip under the snow
and ice and rising i'm refreshing ana
triumphant green with the first sunny
days II is the reliance OF the poor man,
but Il has only to be eaten 10 be a9pFe-
ciated by anybody.
Without Il the amateur gardener would
be an utter failure, for Z IS ha-dy
enough to flourish I'm spite Of his combi-
ration Of ignorance and misplaced scicn-
tific theories.
The onion has a history. too. II grew
in Fgvpt when the first civilization was
dawning; it Witnessed the building OF
the pyramids and those other wonders
OF architecture whose remains aston
ish the world. When Moses and Aaron
compelled Pharaoh 10 let the chosen peo-
ole go. the onion was on the bill of fare
both Of the children of Israel and their
opprrssors. We have no doubt that when
Cleopatra and Marc Antony gave those
famous banquets there were onions IN
the salads. The Serpent Of old Nile
put vinegar 10 better use when dress
ing onions than she did when dissolvns
pearls.
The only objection that has been urged
against the onion IS that its odor Is a
little TOO powerful. But that need not
matter witty Irshman has suggest
ell that it can be entirely neltralized by
eating garlic afterwards. glass Of
milk viii cleanse the breath perfectly.
Better still. let every one eat onions and
then nobody will have any reason Tor
Directing. After all. the smell OF onions
on the breath is much better than the
smell Of cloyes.-Louisyille Courler-JOur-
nal.