The Arizona sentinel., 1908-09-16
WINTER ONIONS IN
THE SOUTHWEST

The following is from Timely Hints
for Farmers" issued September 10 by
the University Agricultural Expert
ment Station:
Onions are very successfully grown
as winter crop in our warmer South
western valleys. Planted at the close
of hot weather, the crop grows during
the cool months when labor Is most
effective, and early varieties mature in
time for high prices in mining and
coast towns.
While onions may be grown success
fully on various types of soil ranging
from sandy loan to a heavy adobe,
the lighter loans are preferable be-
cause of less cost in preparing the
ground, in giving the many civilizations
needed, add indigging the crop. Onions
REQUIRE fertile soil and are especially
| favored by an abundance of organic
matter which may be cheaply added in
the form of well ed barnyard ma
nure. Onions will not endure much
alkali in the soil, especially if ridge
culture is followed, which favors sur
face accumulation of soluble salts
around the plants.
Onions are grown either in fat cul-
ture by flooding, or ON ridges by furrow
irrigation. The flooding method is
more applicable TO heavy soils: but
ridges and furrow irrigation are pre-
ferable for light soils which work east
ly and sub-irrigate readily.
For ridge and furrow culture the field
should be perfectly level and laid off
for rows from 100 to 800 long. This
arrangement will permit of equal and
sufficient irrigation without loss of
water or flooding the rows. Having
previously plowed under heavy appli-
cation of well rotted barnyard manure,
or q green manuring crop with sub
seouent irrigations, the ground is again
irrigated just before planting time.
When sufficiently dry it is disk and
drag narrowed to secure perfect sur
face pulverlzatiou. To make the ridges,
begin at one side of the field and with
six-inch turning pillow throw shallow
furrow toward the right. Returning
in the same furrow throw an equal
amount of soil in the opposite direction.
At distance of 30 inches between fur
row centers repeat the operation thus
throwing soil slices together in pairs
to foLm the ridges in the rough. These
may DO conveniently finished by drag
giug them lengthwise with long
weighted plank drawn by horse.
This will leave fat-topped ridges about
"a inches wide on top, with burrows
about six inches wide and deep between.
Thus prepared the soil may be more
easily kept in filth and weeds controlled
than in fat culture.
The best and cheapest method is to
SOW the seed in beds and transplant
later to the field. AS soon as hot
weather abates usually in Septemberl
the seed is thickly sown in drills five
inches apart in beds of we'll fertilized
soil. The water burrows must be
placed at intervals suitable for sub-ir-
rigation. Two pounds OF seed thus
planted will provide young onions
enough for an acre.
The ridges having been prepared !
just in advance of planting, the young |
onions are lifted, as needed, the roots
trimmed to an inch in length and the |
tops cut back about half. The rows are !
best laid out along the ridges by means !
of Cranes marker. This is round cot
tonwood log two feet long and and ten
to twelve inches in diameter, with three |
rows nine inches apart of pegs extend |
ing around the roller. The pegs should |
be about Ii inches long and spaced at
four To six inches according to distance
desired between onions. BY means Of
"a light frame tackled to the ends of the |
roller, the marker is drawn along the |
ridge leaving three perfectly uniform
rows Of holes. The trimmed plants are
then dropped one at each hole, set about
II inches deep and the soil firmly press
ed about them 10y band. 1t is then well
TO irrigate them lightly 20 insure an
even start OF all the plants. by this
plan about 1000 onions an acre may
be placed, planting tive inches apart in
the row, with three rows to each ridge. \
The nrntito dcpcrd not only on skill n