The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-26
THE FARM AND THE GARDEN.
MATTERS OF INHERENT TO AGRI-
CULTURIsT AND HOUSEWIFE.
The Onion an Easy and n Profitable
CrOp-Grapes and COttOn-Cassava.
The Cold sunday-Meat Produc-
tiOn-EarIy Irish Potatoes.

The Cold Sunday-Meat Produc-
tiOn-EarIy Irish Potatoes.
When onions are grown on the "inten-
sive" Plan they are certainly money
crop most anywhere, but especially so in
the South, where the average retail price
is two dollars per bushel. When it is borne
in mind that the intensive grown can
make nice profit on them even at ~
cents bushel it is clear that it is a de-
sirable crop usually. The intensive cult
vator will make anywhere from 200 to COO
bushels per acre. a great many do not
know what high culture of this crop
means. We herewith proceed to explain
what it Goes mean.
1t means that the land is made very
rich by suitable fertilizers. Some natural
soils can be made 10 produce AGO to 500
bushels. 1t means also that every square
foot is made to produce to the fullest ex-
tent possible. 1t means also that while
the land is first prepared thoroughly with
horse pillow the cultivation is done chiefly
with hand implements-hoes and garden
pillow. The rows are made from 10 to Is
inches apart and the plants left in the
SOL wi Justify. Some soils are just suit
ed to onions while others are not natur-
ally adapted to this crop. A soil abund-
antly supplied with the mineral elements
and in a soluble condition that will meet
the demands of maximum crop is the
special requirement of this crop. If the soil
is "a all naturally fertile there will be
sufficient nitrogen usually il the cultiva-
ton is what it should be. If there is any
DOUBT about this, nitrogen in the shape
OF nitrate of soda can be applied to the
crop-16O to 800 pounds broadcasted just
before the first or second working with
the hoe or garden pillow.
For many years it seemed as If there
was a general belief that onions could
en- be grown in the South from sets and
1t is only in recent years that gardeners
were aware apparently, that Just as fine
and sure crops could he made from black
seed as can be anywhere in the world 1t
is quite true that American sorts such as
generally grown in New England and The
West do not do near so well as other sorts
introduced in recent years from Italy
Spain, Mexico and Bermuda. The latter
kind is specially adapted 10 Southern use.
variety known as the Creole" intro
duced from Mexico is also popular in some
localities in the South, in Louisiana and
Texas chiefly. Among the Italian varie-
ties all of which are good for use in the
South, are several quickly maturing sorts,
such as the Queen and Nocera that make
as easily as turnips almost
Very large onions dan be made by using
the larger Italian varieties, like the Giant
Rocca, but we do not regard it as desira-
BILE TO SOW any of the kinds of which this
is the type. Discriminating buyers among
housekeepers prefer a small onion about
four to the pound Tor perhaps three to the
large over-grown kinds Weighing a pound
or more. They are not so easily cooked
DONE" in the vernacular of Aunt Dinah
The smaller sized onions being really
more desirable. the sowing of the seed
should be so regulated THAI six or eight
plants should be allowed TO grow to each
running foot of row. On some soil it may
be that three to five may be better, but
as an average thing four to six will be
found just about right for the maximum
yield
Some twenty years ago we had an ex-
perienoe with this plant that led to a
better knowledge of las possibilities. A
row forty feet long was prepared to raise
onion sets. A shallow furrow four inch
es wide and uniformly a half inch deep,
was laid off and the onion seeds sprinkled
in the furrow thckly as eight to twelve
seeds to the square inch. The soil had
been made very rich and the cultivation
was intense. two things not advanta geous
in growing onion sets Such mass of
onion large enough for culinary purposes
was a wonder Only very few of the
resulting onions were small enough 20
be used for sets. The forty feet of row
yielded several baskets of merchantable
onions. 1t was our first effort in sowing
onion seeds and it proved a most valu-
able lesson in regard TO growing onions.
1t showed in what Intensive" culture
meant. We have never since then cared
90 use sets for growing this crop, except
in a small way now and then when a few
onions for seasoning was desired But
to grow onions for nice bulbs that will
keep. reliance is had upon the seeds eX-
clusively Instead of SETS. we grow
plants" in cold frames in the winter and
transplant after the hard freezes are
over-late in January or early February,
and the late crop for keeping two or three
months afterwards.