The Savannah morning news., 1901-03-18
THE FARM AND THE GARDEN.
MATTERS OF INTEREST TO FARM
Err AND HOUSEWIFE.

Growing OniOns-Number of Plants
to the Acre-The San Jose Scale.
Early Celery Fodder Corn and
Corn Fodder-About Certain Cot
tons.
In the cultivation of any crop. of course
one of the most essential things to know
is what is the appropriate number of
plants per acre to produce a maximum
yield OF that crop. This applies in every
case, whether it be pecan trees, or peach,
or cotton, or corn, or potatoes or onions,
or what-not.
Under conditions alike in every other
respect-such as exist in variety. in prep
arat4on of soil, fertiizing and cultivauGg.
etc.-it will be found that the acre that
has the proper number of plants (meas-
ured by the requirements of single plant
for its most complete develOpmenD will
be the one that will produce the largest
aggregate yield. That is, no plant is to
be allowed any more space than is needed
for its perfect development and the land
must be made to bear every plant that
II can develop perfectly. The nearer we
come to a perfect allotment of plant to
area the nearer, therefore, we should
come to the best results. 1t is much cas-
Ter to obtain satisfactory answer TO the
question as TO the proper number of
plants per acre with some crops than
with others. With the most of plants the
best that can be done is to reach Ger
tain approximations. We cannot deter
mine the matter to such a nicely as to
warrant the belief or assertion that 100
plants per acre are better than $500, or
vice versa. but we can by experiment and
observation, arrive at a point where we
can assert that 5000 are better than 1900,
or vice versa.
Though the fact is ever constant, still
different planters will attain frequently to
different conclusions in reference to this
question. Their conditions were not alike,
perhaps Applying these remarks 10 thal
very humble, yet highly important vege-
table, the onion, let us ask the question
that il is well for the grower to Sc tie
before he plants and lays by crop that
may be profitable or otherwise in pro-
portion to the settlement of the question
how many plants, approximately, should
be allowed to grow on the acre. We have
frequently asserted that 1t was not a very
difficult matter to raise 800 bushels of on
ions to the acre. Having made such
crop a number of times, our claim Is
based upon experience.
Such a crop will rarely or never be
grown. however if the rows were laid at
three feet and plant allowed only every
twelve inches in the row or even ten or
eight.
In a number of varieties of onions. as
is the case with the tomato, carrot, po-
tato, etc, there is decided Limitation in
size of bulbs, and a pant having 24O
square inches of space to grow in will not
grow much, If any, larger than one that
has $50 square inches or even less. We
are assuming that the soil is uniformly
rich and the cultivation perfect.
Especially is this true OF the Bermuda
onions and varieties of Italians, such as
Queen" and 'Nocera." With all of these
an onion gorwing II inches apart is not
likely to be much if any larger than
those that are only inches apart in the
rows
Even with kinds like the Prizetaker and
others similar to it, and that grow to
weigh two or three pounds on very rich
soil, this rule apples, though not with
equal force perhaps. With these man.
moth sorts it will also be found that
single plants at twelve or fifteen inches
distance will not average great deal
more than other bulbs having only four
or six inches distance in the row.
AS remarked, however, some varieties
are more marked in their size limitations
than others. OF, course, if four onions, or
even three or two will attain the same
individual size in the same space that one
would, 1t would be great waste of space
and labor to have only one grow where
four could grow in the same space. To
make the largest yield per acre the max
imum distance for onion rows is twenty
four inches, but in some soil and GER
tain painstaking mode of cultivation the
rows need not be further apart than
eighteen inches, or even fifteen inches.
Some few cultiva tors have their rows only
twelve inches apart. The further apart
the rows are the closer the plants can
stand in the rows a rule.
maximum crop is possible. We believe
with rows twenty inches apart and a
plant to average three inches in the
rows. This for land in the finest filth
and properly fortified, of course. At
twenty inches by three inches perfect
stand would aggregate l0S.1 6S onions. To
make 500 bushels this number should aver
age about four ounces each. This is a
very desirable size for either home or
market. Very large onions are to be de-
sired neither by the merchant nor the
housekeeper. They are more liable to de-
cay, and they are not so readily cooked
perfectly.
How to prepare land and cultivate this
crop will follow. s. A. c.