Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-10-26
QUERIES ANSWERED

THE COMMERCIAL GROWING OF
ONIONS.
NJ. j. B.. Waverly Hall, Ga, writes; i
wish some information about onion grow
ing. When should they be planted or set
out for early market and to grow large
ones; also. what is the best kind to grow
for both purposes? What kind of land is
the best for onions7
The growing of onions is not as difficult
an undertaking as some imagine it TO be.
The land for this crop must be made
very rich unless II is naturally very fer
tile There Is nothing better to use for
the Improvement Of land intended for
this crop than large quantities Of we'll
rotted farmyard manure. and this is i'm
portant whether the land be of a sandy
or clay character. as the addition Of the
vegetable matter improves the filth Of the
soil and enables the securing Of finer
and more friable seed bed Land intend
ed for onions should be highly fertiliZed.
Where ii is sandy use a fertilizer con-
tanning to per cent OF nitrogen, TO 8
per cent OF phosphoric acid and to per
cent OF potash will answer very well. A
fertilizer containing these ingredients In
the amounts indicated should be used at
the rate Of 800 to 1.oOO pounds per acre
as the qauIity of the onion depends large
Three methods Of planting onions may
be followed in this section of the south.
The seeds may be sown in the. open
ground any time during this month. The
seed may also be sown in cold frames in
late November or December, and trans
planted in the open ground in February
or March, depending on location, when
about the size Of a goosequill.
The third method is to plant the seed
thinly in drills not over s inches apart
in the open ground as soon as the soil can
be worked advantageously. This win
probably be in February in southern
Georgia and probably March in the north
ern part Of the state. In contradistinction
TO most other crops, onions can be
grown advantageousiy on the same land
year after year. OF the three methods
suggested, we are inclined to favor fall
seeding. and 1t viii take about four
pounds of extra clean seed to sow an acre
of land, which should be well prepared.
One OF the most important things in
onion culture is to have the soil in q
friable condition, so 1t will not retard the
quick growth and development of the
bulbs. and frequent cultivation, which is
generally given by hand, must be resort
ed to so as to keep the soil stirred, con-
utilize the plant food contained in the
soil more completely, and keep under con-
troll the weeds and grass which interfere
with the development of the onions. AS
soon as growth is well established, thin to
a stand; that is. do not leave the onions
closer than six inches apart in the drills.
The onions removed by thinning may be
transplanted In other ground. on sandy
land the seed should be covered about one
inch; on clay land, not over one-half inch.
The soil should be firmed about the seeds
after planting. In the early spring when
the bulbs begin to form, the earth should
be drawn away from them. leaving at
least one-half Of the bulb exposed. This
will hasten development One of the best
onions for planting in your section for
fall purposes is the Australian Brown
The Bermuda can probably only be safe
~ planted in the spring, and this is also
true Of the Globe onions, OF which there
are both dark and light-skinned varieties