The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-01

w II. H., st. S,mons' Mills, Ca, asks:
First. What is the best onion to plant?
Second. What fertilizer is best for making
crop and how much to apply TO the
acre? Third. How many bushels of onions
can be made on an acre of good ordinary
land?
o. We doubt if there can be found any
better variety of onion for the Southern
grower than the Bermuda variety. Grant
ing that cool fresh seeds can be procured
q a reasonable price. There are, however,
Mexican or Spanish varieties of onions
that VII 90 well as The Bermuda.
variety known as the Creole is very gen
eraly grown by truckers about New Or
l,ans and Galveston. For many years we
have grown TIE italian varieties with great
satisfaction and especially variety
known as the New Queen, small, fiat
onicn, and another sort called the Giant
Rocca. All seedsmen keep these Italian,
en- o1s, but very few ever have the Ber-
muda kind or the Creole. These latter are
only TO be had of first class Southern
seedsmen. All the onions we have mem
toned are as easily grown from seed as
a turnp. The only thing is 10 get fresh
seeds that viii grow when sown proper
ly. We find ii a difficult matter indeed
to get first class seeds; such seeds. for
instance, where 80 per cent. will grow and
make q good onion.
After securing good seeds of the right
variety the next consideration is to have
the land properly prepared. 1t should be
well pulverized and should be made just
as rich as one can possibly afford. There
is not much satisfaction 10 be had out of
growir onions on poor land In the possi-~
bilites of the crop there is a vast range
Very poor land may not yield over %
bushels of salable onions per acre, while
Very rich land suited specially 10 onions
may easily produce 1000 bushels. More
than LOCO bushels have been produced on
an acre.
In manuring for the crop apply all the
stable or lot manure broadcast spreading
1t evenly and letting it be as near the
surface as possible. 1t is not likely that
you have enough of this kind of manure
to enrich even as much as an acre as it
should be to render possible a crop of or
600 bushels, that is If the land is poor,
such land as will not make 10 or IL bushels
of corn without manuring. OF course. there
is plenty of land in the South and plenty
right about you that will produce 500 bush
els of onicns to the acre just as it stands
if one only knows how to plant and cuhi-
vate the crop. Good seeds, good prepare
tion of the soil and good cultivation are the
three essentials with this crop.
If one knows how to dispose of the onion
crop after il is made he should not be-
grudge all the manuring and work that
will enable him TO make a big crop while
he is at II. These large crops are the
kind that pays. One had better prepare
and enrich one acre so that it will make
500 bushels, possibly 1000, of onions than
10 spread out the manure and work over
several acres, possibly five or six, to pro-
duce that, many bushels. One ton of ev-
erage complete fertilizer per acre is
not specially liberal fertilizing for so val
liable crop as onions Two 70 five tons can
be economically applied if you own the
land to which you apply it. Succeeding
crops will make use of whatever ferti-
lzing elements are left unused by the
onion crop. II you are engaged In grow
ing for sale the vegetable crops you name
and you own the land you can afford to
put on all the fertilizer you can possibly
pay for and especially If your land is
convenient to a good market, or If you
know how to ship to a distance to good
advantage. There is no satisfaction in at
tempting to grow vegetables on poor or
even. half way rich soil. Pile on the ma
nure and fertilize to the utmost limit.
Your questions about potatoes and cab
bage are not specific, but in following is
sues we will give you the necessary nfor-
nation how to grow these two vegetables.
In the meantime pillow and plow and pillow,
and manure, and manure. and manure.