The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-02-01
AGRICULTURAL
ONIONS.

We have q great variety of onions and
many systems or practices for growing
them, so that really to attempt anything
like treating all the varieties and all the
methods or growing, would take a book
entirely devoted to the subject So l can
only notice briefly the varieties best suit
ed for the truck farmer and the best
methods for growing these. 1t would be
superfuous for me to state again the inn
portance of having a deep, rich, well un-
derdrained soil for all crops. especially
for vegetable crops.
The onion is no exception to this rule
Most any soil that will produce good
crops of corn or cotton can be made TO
grow good crops of onions, though rough.
stony soils should not be selected as 1t
would cost too much to prepare such soil
The treatment of soils for an onion crop
depends largely upon location, and as the
onion Is grown from the gulf coast to
Manitoba it will be easily seen that we
need different varieties and different
methods for the many local conditions.
| will first notice the crop as 1t Is
grown in the north from the small black
seed. Land for this crop should be well
menured with well rotted barnyard ma
nure and plowed to a depth OF eight or
ten inches. In the spring, as early as the
soil is in condition for working, COM
mence to cultivate and harrow and keep
this up until planting time, which Is al
most as soon as the frost Is out Of the
ground, and the soil becomes dry enough
to work. / have a plan Of my own for
growing this onion crop which | have
found to be the most economical. AS in
nearly all Of my farm operations ] use
horse power in growing onions. After my
soil Is made very fine | mark out the
txvaf " |
with garden marker drawn by horse
making four lines at q trip. | then take
a small single shovel and furrow out
these marks. then with a small diamond
pillow throw two burrows into this center
furrow. Then with a hand rake | smooth
off the ridge thus made, leaving 1t only
a few inches above the level Of the sur
face so as to afford drainage. This was
my former way of preparing my seed
beds. but for the last few years, since the
introduction Of the Plannet Jr., combined
horse hoe and cultlvator. this implement
can be so arranged as TO do the furrow-
Ing out and ridgng ali at one trip, and
by placing the roller on the center beam
At the back end the ridge can be
smoothed down also at the same time,
and save the hand raking or leveling
OF the seed bed, a. the roller will do the
work equally as we'll as II can be done
by hand The seed bed is now ready for
the SEED, winch can De sOWH DbSl ny
seme of our improved seed drills.
sourine the Seed
The seed should be sown from one-half
TO three-quarters of an inch deep, owing
to soil and season. tho roller attachment
to the seeder will press the soil firmly on
the seed.
Where the soil is very dry and no pros
pect for rain for some days. It win be
well to turn back over the row and with
the feet press the soil firmly on the seed.
This will cause quicker termination and
a more even stand of plants. The use OF
IN. feet in pressing the seed in the soil
Is very essentl3' especially so where such
seed as onion "a dish, beet and parsnip
seed are sow with n garden drill. In
passing back Nver the row for treadng
down the seed. let the heel OF the front
foot come back to the toe OF the back
foot every time. thus covering all the
seedbed. The mark left by the wheel Of
the seeder will be q guide for this work.
Now that the seed Is planted the next
thing Is the cultivation. and this should
begin in q few days. | begin to cultivate
before the plants are up, using a twelve
tooth Plannet Junior harrow which cleans
all the space between the rows at one
passage through. The wheel marks left
by the seeder are guide as to how
close to the seedbed the cultivator is to
be run. A good old horse. or n mule Is
better. can soon be trained for doing all
this work. As soon az the plants are up
go as to be seen from one end Of the row
20 the other. then take the horse hoe and
place the hoes on both sides, SO that It
nan emit risht ia within innh nf tina