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

Y rated with the soil. A heavy applica
o ton of fresh raw manure just before
n planting would have an injurious eff
, feet, but where the manure is wei
Y rotted and uniformly applied there il
nothing to be feared.
? There is no fertilizer so well adapt.
7 ed to the production of this crop as
i. animal manure. That from sheep that
) have been fed on cotton seed meal
being the best. All stable manure
: must be well composted before being
used and spread on the land some time
before use-several months if possible
Where stable manure cannot be had
in abundance without great cost, com
mercial fertilizer may be used. Such
fertilizer should contain to 5 per
cent nitrogen, 5 to 7 per cent phos-
phoric acid and 8 to 10pcr cent potash.
Its cost woul be about $38 to $40 per
ton and you would use 1000 pounds
per acre.
Should it be found desirable to mix
the fertilizer at home, the following
formular is suggested by the Depart
ment:
Nitrate of soda, IA to 16 nitrogen,
200 lbs.
| Cotton seed meal $50 lbs.
Acid phosphate, Is per cent, $50 lbs.
Muriatic of potash, so per ct 300 lbs.
The ingredients of these fertilizers
should not be mixed until shortly be-
fore they are to be used, as there is
danger of loss from chemical action.
in mixing, the proper quantity of all
ingredients should be weighed and
dumped together in heap on clean,
tight floor. The work of mixing can
be done by shoveling over three or
four times, but should continue until
all Jumps are broken and the mass has
assumed uniform color and appear
ance.
Commercial fertilizers should not be
applied until shortly before sowing the |
seed and should be uniformly dis
tributed and thoroughly worked into
the soil. There are one-horse fertili-
yer distributors that scatter the ferti-
lizer broadcast, but where an amount |
not exceeding 1000 pounds of fertili-
ger to the acre is being used the work |
of distribution may be performed by
means of common grain drill having
fertilizer attachment. On small
scale the work is generally performed
by hand
Many growers follow the practice of
applying only part of the fertilizer
at planting time, reserving the bal
ance to be put on as top-dressing at
some time during the period of cult
walton. This plan is especially de-
sirable where onions are grown during
the winter, as the application of high
ly heterogeneous fertilizers in the autumn
is liable to promote soft growth that
will be injured by cold. If the ferti-
lizer is not put, on until cold weather
is over, the crop may be forced with
out fear of injury. For this pur-
pose only those fertilizers of a a very
available form will answer. Nitrate
of soda is frequently used as top
dressing during the height of a grow
ing period.
METOoDS OF TILLAGE.
The cultural requirements of the
onion are frequent shallow stirring of
the soil and freedom from weeds. The
feeding roots of the onion run close to
the surface of the soil and should not
be disturbed by deep cultivation Some
times heavy rain Immediately after
seeding will so pack the surface that
the seedlings cannot break throug.
Under such circumstances it will be
necessary to slightly break the surface
by means of a steel rake or rake-like
on a cultivator. AS soon
as the plants are up and the rows can
be followed the cultivator should be
started to loosen the soil, which is al
ways more or less compacted during
seeding.
Hand Cultivation-W Where the rows
are ID inches or less apart, the work
Of caring for the crop must all be
done by hand. For this purpose the
wheel hoe tools of various types are
These implements are pro-
vided with several kinds of hoes, cut
tiers and sweeps designed to work the
soil away from the plants, to shave the
surface and destroy weeds, and to stir
the soil and work it back around the
plants.
This distinction of weeds is the
prime factor and constitutes the great
EST labor of the crop, but it must be
continuous if good results are to be
obt aimed
ONION CULTURE.
Condition of bulbs when ready to t
harvest. In the north the bulbs are (
allowed to become as ripe as possible
before removing them from the soil. (
Growers prefer that the tops ripen r
Town and shrival and that the outer d
kin of the bulbs be dry before they
ire pulled. To the southwark, where
he onions are not cured so thoroughly,
hey are often pulled about the time
hat the tops begin to break and fall.
The ripening process may often be
fastened by rolling very light roller
n Darrell over the tops to break
hem down. This process is frequent
Y spoken of as ''barreling."
Methods Of handling the bulbs
Where the bulbs are practically upon f
he surface they may be pulled by :.
and and thrown in windows. If the +
nion bulbs are considerably covered
With soil it will be necessary to en- {
hoy a one-horse pillow or cultivator
With sweep attached for lifting them.
n any case it will be necessary to t
,ather them from the soil by hand. c
after lying in the windows for sew
raj days and being stirred occasionly \
With wooden rakes they are gone over
md the tops removed either by twist y
ng or cutting with ordinary sheep
hears. In cases where very bright \
olor is important, as with fancy White !
lobe onions, and this would be in n
ured by exposure to the sun and rain, IN
he bulbs are cured in long, narrow,
ow ricks. f
CHOICE OF SEED ;,
The choice of seed is very important
md it is more profitable to buy good c
eed at So 90 pound than bad seed at j
My 81 90 or SOC pound. The va +
ieties of onions that have distinctive =,
Y yellow, white and red skins and are
# the globular type are of greatest
commercial Importance. Among the /
,arieties that belong to the yellow /