Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1909-05-01
An Onion Topper.

Dor is performed IN keeping down the
weeds. This work will be greatly les.
sened by seeding with some drill which
drops the seeds I'm a straight line. thus
enabling the operator TO wheelhoe up
close 20 the row. reducing the hand
work 10 minimum. The Planet. Jr.
drill proved boon to us I'm this re-
spect. But as onions are ordinarily
raised. even the use OF good drill and
the wheel hoe does not sufficiently re-
duce the hand work This can be ac-
complished i'm only one way: by keep
ina from the land all barnyard manure
as ordinarily used
The man who. year after year. pre-
pares his land by seeding 70 down with
a multitude Of weeds OF ali descrip-
tons. including white clover. so din
cult 20 eradicate, ard then Maternity
labors all summer q, W., Cor his folly.
needs the charity and pity Of his
friends. IL Is almost certain that he
will leave. in the fall. a profusion OF
plants 10 again SOW his land with trou-
Bile. 10 say nothing OF additional ma.
nure the spring following.
White clover retains its mower 10
terminate even in a mass of manure
which has lain a number OF years and
has so decayed and crumbled that n Is
nothing more than a heap OF very
black dirt. This assertion Is made NOT
through a call upon my Imagination
but as a result OF examinations OF ac.
tual conditions. Only last sprinr 7
removed from an old. abandoned barn.
black manure which had not been dis.
mrbed for several years. and the decay
OF which. on account OF a very leakv
roof, had received the facilities OF
shade and moisture. A careful exam
ination OF this dirt revealed the small
yellow clover seeds. which upon being
planted. grew up into n very nice stand
OF white clover. And this is what the
average gardener deliberately places
in his soil and then YEARLY labors 70
remove.
Surely it seems that there woufd
naturally arise in his mind the idea OF
separating from the fertilizer and us
ing that which benefits him and dis.
carding that which Injuries him. We
learn, upon inquiry, from farmers I'm
general, that the liquid manure Is the
best. and yet this liquid manure Is
generally lost. Let this LIQUID manure
be preserved and utilized on the onion
patch. There will then be no immense
crop OF weeds. greater than the crop
or onions. TO remove before the crop of
onions can be made a certainty.
II no liquid manure can be secured
there still remains the commercial fer
and also common ashes. which
helps to give a good crop.
But, / hear someone say. the use of
such fertilizers soon results In a hard
soil in which nothing can be worked
and In which nothing will grow. To
which / answer. pillow in some clean
straw which has passed through a good
separator.
By means OF the above methods the
amount OF labor usually expended on
a given area OF land in the production
Of onions should be reduced one-half
thus enabling the producer to almost
double the area
The average crop OF onions raised nv
the methods in common use shouId NOT
be less than 600 bushels to the acre as
we have proved here. and by the better
above described. should be
more
Accompanying is an illustration OF a
homemade onion topper which we
found very convenient. AS will be no
ticed, the knife is an ordinary corn
cutter.