St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1909-08-28
Culture Of Onions


: To carry out the meaning of this ii
/ tie implies work, lncessent work, anC
the more work the bigger the results
The motto 'more rain, more rest
does not apply to the onion crop unless
failure is desired. But then, the profit
to be derived as the reward for con
tinued labor is amply compensatory. II
all professions work is required and cor
slant vigilance or success cannot at.
tend it. Farming is profession anC
the true farmer has as much right tt
consider himself a professional man as
has the lawyer or the doctor. To be
true to his profession he must be sci
entltlc-he must not plant haphazard.
He must have reason for everything
he does and must be willing to learn
better methods all the time.
To assist him in learning we have
experiment stations. Here expert
ments are made, at the cost of the
State, which would be too expensive
if made by the individual, and the lat
ter can receive bulletins giving re-
suits without wasting his own time
achieving them. These bulletins are
reliable. The one on onion culture,
issued by the u. S. Department of
Agriculture will be the basis for this
article.
The onion can be grown and will
thrive under very wide range of eli
mates, conditions and in almost any
soil except the mountainous regions.
1t does best, however, in a temperate
climate, free from extremes of heat
and cold. In the early stages of its
growth it will require much more time,
but requires dryness and heat while
ripening.
In our climate it is best to plant in
the fall, the growing season being in
the late fall or winter, the crops ma
turing in the late spring and early
summer. The latter part of Septem-
Der would probably be the best time
to plant seed, as the period required
for the production of crop is about
$50 days.
Onions will grow almost anywhere,
but care and knowledge must be used
to make paying crop for market.
The information given here will be for
small crops to be produced along with
other truck, no attention being given
to the methods to be employed for
vast occasions.
The best method for producing the
proper degree of moisture, whether
much or little, during the various
stages of growth is by means of ire
cation. But at the present time this
is impracticable here unless used by
those who have flowing wells or can
afford to drill them.
Should this method be used, the land
is laid out in beds and irrigation bitches
carefully constructed, care being had
that the surplus water will drain off
after a flooding. In this way the
planter gains almost perfect moisture
control over his plants.
In the absence Of this method rain
falls must be depended on. So the
seeds must be planted at a time when
the small plants will have abundant
rain while the later growth and ripen-
ing will be under dryer conditions. In
our region the soil becomes packed
after rain and must then be scratched
by means of steel rake so that the
seedlings can come through.
PREPARATIONS OF NEW LAND. = +
AS a general rule new land is not
adapted to onion growing until it has
been worked one or two years with |
other crops. Onions should follow some
crop that has been kept under the hoe |
and free from weeds the previous sea-
son. Corn, beans and potatoes are |
suitable crops with which to precede |
onions. Muck and sandy soils may in |
some cases be brought to a suitable |
condition for onions the first season,
but the fitting will have to be very
thoroughly performed. The land should |
be plowed in the autumn, then re-
plowed in the spring, after which
numerous borrowings and doubtless
some hand work will be required to
get the soil in suitable shape.
If necessary to manure the land |
heavily before planting to onions, it /
will be desirable to plant to some farm
crop one season, then apply the manure
during the autumn in order to give it
time to become Incorporated with the
soil. Owing to the value of good onion
land it would not be advisable to de-
vote it to general farm crops for any
extended period, although corn is fire.
quently planted and oats or rye are
sometimes used in the North. Cowpeas
may be Of great service in bringing
new land into shape for planting onions
CROP ROTATION.
Onions should not be planted on the
same piece of land year after year,
and some system of crop rota-
ton should be maintained. Care should
be taken, however, to use crops in the
rotation that will not be exhaustive of
the high fertility necessary in the on
ion land. During the years when the
land is not devoted to onions it can be
planted to some truck crop that will |
give a return that will justify the ap-
plication of large quantities of ferti-
lizers, or, better, to leguminous crop
to be turned under as green manure.
Continuous cropping with onions will
cause the land to become infested with
both disease and insect enemies that |
will sooner or later injure the crop to
such an extent as to render it I'M
profitable.
PREPARATION OF THE SOIL.
Assuming that the land intended for
planting to onions is capable of being
brought to a good mechanical condi-
ton, fertile, we'll drained, and reason
ably Tree from Weeu seeuS, the urSI
step in the production of the crop will
be to pillow moderately deep, then har
row, disk, roll, and drag until the soil
is smooth and mellow to a depth of 4
or S inches. The method of preparing
the soil will depend somewhat upon its
character, the manner of planting to
be followed, and the requirements for
irrepation. There are few truck or
other crops that require so careful fit
ting of the soil as do onions, and it is I
essential that the fertilizers be well
mixed with the soil.
FERTILIZERS.
AS the onion is an extensive crop
and Yields great quantities of market
able bulbs for the area planted, the
erroy,ar is instified in manuring heavily.