IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) I 1.0 142 2.2 »** I'^A lllll^ I.I ■^ 140 IK Ibii 1.25 1.4 2.0 1.6 .^ ^. y V2 '^. .^ f //J '^^J? Photographic Sciences Corporation i\ signifie "A SUIVRE '. le symbols 7 signifie "FIN". Lee cartee. planches, tableaux, etc., oeuvent itre film4e A dee taux de rMuction diff Grants. Lorsque le document est trof? grsnd pour itre reproduit en un seul clichA. il est fiimi A part:r do I'angle sup4rieur gauche, de gauche i droite, et de haut en baa. en prenant le nombre d'images nilcessaira. Lea diagrammes suivants illustrent la m^thode. 1 2 3 1 6 r C^ rri^ •I^=3>«- PROPERTY OF LIBRARY, DEPARTMEItT OF AGRICULTURE, WEST BLOCK, OTTAWA Lenllo .':Cr..../:=f....i'.i^^.-jo.n..y. Date t..Ja....l.J^..l^ PLEASE RETURN ho ^^"W}^ THE S ONION BOOK. A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO J i-1 E Profitable Culture of the Crop. BY SOME TWENTY EXPERIENCED GROWErtS. 1 J. r-. I' !s 'V i« .V r i; i>. NEW AND GREAiu, i. ....ARGED EDITION. I '.f ii>' NEW YORK: O JUDD CO., DAVID W. JUDD, Pres't., 7 5 t B R O A D W A Y . 188 7. Iix> :.|K. i.ulfreU, ucc«rUiiig to Act uf (;origi:i!i)», id lln- ycur IS,-' tjj l!i • (.» ^^ iiu Co., iii tlic OlUiie of llic M'oruHuu ol t'oUtfrc'ts, ut \Viit>blti't,'tuu. Dtr <7S: Ch iij. •500 K' NEW AMERICAN FAlOl BOOR. OUKtINALLY by li. L. ALLEX, AiiHior of •• inmi'M of iMmies/ir AnlrniUji," anil fonin'ily FMInr if {hit "■ AinfriciUi Aijriculturht.''' IlE VISED AM) ENLAIKIED 15 V L E AV I S F. A L L E N , Aulluir of "Aineriam CaUlf." JJdllor rf the '-AtMnciia trihur.i UtrrU-limk,''' etc KNTS : \ Roiiil^— Shade TrcP!>-M'i)o(l Laml ■— Tinip of Out- ; liii:.; Tiiiil)er--Tooli-— Agriciiltuni; Ecliication of ths Kaniiur. t'HAPTKlt XIII.— Farm P.iiildiiiirs— House— Barn— t^livilji—Cistorn-'— Various other Om-lluiidiii^'s— Stuamin;^ Apiiaratus. CriAlTKR XIV.— Domeflio Anim: Is— Brecdimj— Aim- tomy— Respiration- (^oiisuniptSoii of Pood. CHAPTER XV.-N.mt or I orniMl Cnttlo-Devona— Hero fords — Ayrshire^ — Gallownys— Sliorthoriis — Alderncyn, or Jerseys— Diiti.li or Ilolstein— Manage- ment from IVirlh lo Milking', Labor, or Slaughter. CHAPTER XVI.-Thc! Bairy -Millj-Butter— Cheede — DinVrei't Kind.-s— Manner of Workin;:. CHAPTER XVIf— Slicep — Merino — Saxon— South- Down— The Lo:.!r-\vooled Breeds— Cotswold—Lln- rolii— BrecdiiifT- ManairemcMit -Sheplierd Doi:p. CHAPTER XVIlI.-Tlie Uorse-Descriplion of Differ- ent ISreuda— Tlieir Vurliiua Uees- Breeding— Man- ngement. CHA"TERXIX.—ThnAB8—Mulc— Comparative Lal)or of Working Animals. CIIAP'I'ER XX.— Swine— Different Breeds— Breeding - Uearin'.'-Fallenin^'— CnrinL; Pork and H.ims. CHAPTER XXI. -Poultry-Hens, or Barn-door Fowls — Tiirki'y — Puacoeli— Guinea Hen— Goose— Duck — Iloiuy-Bees. CHAPTER XXI 1.— Diseases of Animals— What As- thority sliall wo Adopt ?— Sheep— Swine— Treat- ment and Bri'eding of Horses. CHAPTER XXIII.—Conelusion— General Remarks— The Farmer who Livi^s liy liis Oecupaliun— The Amateur Farmer— Sundry Useful Tables, l'2ni(). .Kfi pp THE PRKSS. Comprehensive and rarefnl, tellinc;. and telling sfc- oifleally. just wliat the tillers of the soil net 'I lo V.v \ it will |)rove of irreat, ,iilvarila'.4e to all who faith r follow Us counsels iu the spirit in which they are ,i. ( 'oiiijrfijaliDfiali.it. and lia'crdir. It intellicrently and quite fully iliseusses tin' varioua operations of farm life, auil Is invaluable lo all eiiLraged iu agriculture. Fanner's VaOiiiet. For the young man of rural tastes, hut without a trainiM;.' at the' )ilow-hauilles, who a-^ks for a seiieral vruide and instruetor thai shall be to au'riculturu what the map of the worlil Is to u'eov'raiihv. it is the best man- ual lo print. For the workin;: fariiier, who in summer nofUiiuL's and by the winter liresi h? w(niid refresh his convictions ami re.is.sure his knowiedi-'e bv oM detlin- lions and wel|.,>oMsidered ...nnmaries, it Ls th^ nioel eonvenient ham'-lxjok. From its d.inble authorship one miurht eirpee' some show of nateh-work. the oriL'ili.al st:ite!ni'nt of thennl'ior of!''-!'! aiinoialed and c.naliileci by Ihe writ.. r of this vear, But thi- h;is l).'en wisidv avoirled. The boiiU is 11 iniit. and sh.iws no disparity tv!e nor enntr'.dietlon in statement. Prietieallv, CUNT IN'l UODITTION'. —Tillage Husbandry — Grazing — F.-edi'i;:- Bree'ding— PlanliiiL', e'e. C11.\I''I'I;R 1. -Soils — Clas-ifleal ion — Description — M;uiaL;emeut — Proporlii'9. CllAI'TKR II. Ijiorganic .Manures— Miniral—Sto-,i(!— Earlh -Pliosphatio. C'lIAl'l'IClt III.— DrganicMannns— Their Composition —.\ n itnal —Vegetable. CHAPTER IV.— Irrigntiou ami Draining. CH.VPTEU v.— Meclianical Divisions of >'oils— Sjjud- ing -Plowing' — Implements. CHAPTER VI. -The Grasses — Clovers — Aleadows- Pastures— Comparative Values of Grasses— Imple- ment'^ for tlieir Cultivation. CIIAPI'KR VII. -Grain, and its Cultivation— Varieiios —Growth— Harvesting. CHAPTER VIII. — T.eLiindnons Plants — The Pea- Bean Englljli Field Beau— fare or Veteh-Culti- valion— Harvesting. CHAPTER IX. —Roots and Esoulonts — Varieties— (;rowth—Cultivari(Ui— Securing the Crops— Vses— Nutritive Eiinivalc-uls of Different Kinds of Forage. CUAI'TEU X.--Fniits — Api)les — Cider — Vinegar— Pears— Quinces -1'eaehes— Plums— Ai>ricots— Nec- tarines - Smaller Fruit.s— Planting- Cultivation— Ga;hering— Preservi ng. CHAPTER XL— >ii?e(dlaiieous Objects of Cultivation, aside from the Ordinary Farm Crops— Broom-corn — Flax— Cotuni - Hemp— Sugar-c.-ne— Sorghum— Maple-Sugar—Toliaeeo—lmligo— .Madder— Wood — Sumiicli -Teasel- .Musf.ard- Hops— Cast. >r Beau. SilAPTER XH.— Aids and Objects of Agrimllure— Rotation ol Crops, and their Effects— V eeds— Res- toration of Worn-out Soils— Fertilizing Barren Lands— Utility of Birds— Fences— Hedges— Farm NOTICES BY It is a volumi of over Ave hundred pages, aiid In its firesenl shape comprises all that can well be condensed nto .in available vcdume of its kind^ Hartford Ikiity Times. It ha? a veiy wide range (?f sulijocts, taking tip nearly all matters that ariMiuist important to fanners. C(mi- prising the eoml)ined wisdoui and experience of two eminent agrieultnrisis, it must prove of L'reai valine to the class for whom it is i)repared.--AV/« York Observer. It Is crammed full of jnst the information that is kvanted. which it i» a iileasnn; to recommend. We know of no better encyclopedia of farming. Vfw york Indf/xudent. It is something in favor of this work that it has been before the public for many years. The oriLriiial Work was prepared with esclriordinary rave, and containc,| a vast amount of -em ral triilh that is as ap|ilicable iiowa«it was then; it ha^ therefore been made the basis of the present work, which, to all intents and purp.ises. is new. idiice it is adanted to the pr.'seiif im- proved Ktate of ai-Hcnlinral kn.iwled.'c. Every di'oart tiient is tirenared with cnnsei-'ntlons care, and with a vii'w of niakltiL' the work a reliali'- source of aorrieul- li«*l lii(omi«tlon, Ch!r't'rn ff'-puMienn. it is alto'.'i-ther a recent .-ind timdv volume, Oulj se much rf the orlidnal B.iok of ih,- Farm, bv R. T. Allen, as time could uot change, has been adopted Uj the reviser. A'w iw» Vn*i/««. 0. JUDD COMIMNY, 751 Broadway, New York. 'ft ' k ONION CULTURE ' Prize Essays and other Papers. PUBLISHERS- PREFACE. t.> b. witton by uu experienced On o„ G owe ot ,/ ," ''^'""^ '"'^'^"""^ ^'° ''^'"^^ "'"-« ^ v.rious items, f.-o.u the .election of the e ' ■ ' "'"' '""'' "' "'-"useript ; to embruee the '■"' 'o those Who h.ve hac, lit^^ :.:: :::;;';"""^;" V^'^T ^" "'^"- -^ - P^^^^y as to be use. tro„.vanous partsof the counts" iT 1/ :'"''"^"'^ Many artiele. wee .eeeived •>c given in the A.u:nran ^vW.«ft, Av , T"" "'" '"" """^■- '^^ ''"' °"« "^ two only could pe.-ieuce,ana pubhshe.! in't^: ^ ^ ^ i:^"^ '"^ l'' "" '"^^^ ^'^'^ greatest vaHety^f c- Culture, and edition after edition\v I , "i- ^Z :'" r^""*^ "" ^'""""' '^"'^°^^'^ »" 0'-" has been essent.Hy en,a..ea by th^ t:;,-: c^' ::;;: ^^^ ^'"'^T '""^ ''°^^" ^^ '''^'^' '' mentioned in the rollowin, pages, they are those w i h m^. " j^/u T " " ''■'""'■' ""'""^ '^^'^ The current n.arket rates are «ive„ in the .ai,y papers f^ti "'" '"' ^'''' ^™^ '^^'"^"• No. I. [TwE writer of the following hus, we believe, for market.— Ed.] .ad an oxponenco of .some thirty yean, in growing oniou. BY WM. J. JENNINGS, OF WESTPORT, CT. Selkctio.v Of Gmvsu.-.\ deep loamy soil is con- Bidered the best for onion., though they will grow on soil a large proportion of ivhieh is clay V ligl,t porous soil with a gravelly subsoil should "be avoided Tlie surface of tlio ground should bo nearly level as ^ hiily ground is liable to wash from heavy rains ' In Belectmg a piece of ground fi.r onions, there are sev- eral thuigs that should bo oonsic'.ered. lat. Ground that is stony should be avoided, unless the cost of removing the stones is first considered 2d. Ground that is overrun by weeds and trouble- some grasses, should not bo chosen until thov are first Siibdued. M. Ground that is shaded will not do ; neither tint which is too wet to bo worked early in the spring Having attended to the foregoing hints, it is al-o important to select with reference to cultivating the name ground for onions for an indoliniie length of time for m m doing, the labor of fir.t preparatio,i is uvoide.i ;' oesides, each succeeding crop is more easilv cultivate,! provided the previous work has been thorou.rhlv lone' PRKPARATIOy OF GUOUNI) FOR SowINQ. _ Having made a suitable selection of ground, the next thing to be considered is its preparation. First gather out the stones pretty thoroughly-putting the largest ones into fonces the middling.si.od ones inio blind ditche.s, and the smallest ones into the mud-holes of the roads. In tins way some good is done. Above all, avoid the lioathenish practice of emptying them by the road- .side, not only disfiguring the roads, but giving a har- Ibor f,r briers, elders, and the ten thousand noxious weeds that now infest such places. In the next pla« give the ground a heavy coat of the be.t manure Hog-pen IS the best home-made manure; next, stabla I not too coarse; next, common barnyard, well rotted As to the quantity of manure on an acre, that raus. be determined iu part by the condition of the soil Prom twenty to thirty loadsJ of forty bushels per load, , make a very good coat to begin with. After this it I ie to two inches in width, with a goose-neck riveted on the inside of it; or to make the hoe stiffer, two goose- necks are used, riveted as before, but about one and a half inches from tlie ends of the plate, and uniting in one .'•hank in the handle, which maybe about five feet long. Tliis hoe slioulc be kept clean and bright, so that the dirt will .slide over it without being much dis- placed. A push or sjufTlo-hoe is sometimes used in the advanced growth of the crop. The tools used for u-eoding, aside from what nature has provided, are a crooked knife, (common case or shoe-knife with the lower end bent up.) and a -veeder made of thin steel plate, about two inclies long and one wide, riveted with a goose-neck, like the hoes, and fixed in a handle about eiglit inches long. Later in the season, a large! weeder is used, about four inches in t^-ngth, and set in a liandle about two feet long. Tliis is used, when th« onion-tops have becomo large, for the purpose of tak- ing out single weeds, and when hoeing the ground would injure the onions. After this description of tools, we will return tc hoeing and weeding. As no definite rule can be giv- en for the number of hoeings or woodings, this must be left to the discretion of the owner, or the person in charge. Suffice it to say, the oftener the ground ia stirred, tlie better for tlie crop. Grotind should usu- ally be hoed about once in two weeks during the earlier part of the season, and the weeding must be governed by numbers and growth of the weed.s. It is all-important that the weeds be not suffered to get the advantaiie. Keep them down— keep them out— oe viRilaut. Think of the old adage about the stitch iu time, and apply it here. This same vigilance must be exerci.sed during the growth of the crop. Some persons, owing to extra work during harvest, are apt to neglect tlieir onion* This should never be. July is an important month tf # tho morning, skimming the forward and of a few daya all the weeds > work ia usu- ons' Ist. Be- ' thf. price of sixteen years I a man; and an full-grown e stooping or eding onions, •rk must get and not be : his clothes, g onions are 00 in use, is ither new .ir and from Oiie k riveted on ', two goose- ut one and a fid uniting in l)out five feet id bright, so iig much dis- mes used in cols used for ti'ided, are a ife with the if thin steel nde, riveted i in a handle son, a largei h, and set in d, when thft pose of tak- tlie ground II return tc can be giv- s, this must 10 person in ) ground is should usu- during the ng must he ecds. It is d to get the !tn out — be lie stitch iu during the g to extra heir onion* It month te KXPKBIK^OB OF PltACnCAL QKOWKna. the onion-grower. If neglected then, the crop ia aa good as half-lost. Neither ia it true that onions are injured by working among them when bottoming, although care is necessary rot to le of sowing. The ground should be pre- pared m the same manner as for the regular crops, and hen ,a,d out ,n drills about three feet apart, and four "ches deep, I.., these drills the onions are to be placeo, four or five inches apart, covered with line Uirtand gently pressed down with the feet, or hand roller As soon as they are well out of ground, they should be gone through with a hoe or cultivator, and the weeds kept down by oeca.'^ionallv hoein- the ground, aud weeding, until the seed "is rioe " The writer has found that digging « trench between th* rows, either with a spado or hoe, al>out the time tne * more air about them the better. If the floor ii t l-HJe floor for the onions, and if room is plenty do "o: put thwu over two f.., Huck. ThatlZZ better nnder.tood, I wiU gi.e a description of 1 f, P^-o to .tore onion, for fail a.d winter keopin, Make nbuild.gwitiwhe top or the sills one foot Z: the ground, to aftoni room for air to blow fre.lv undc^ aloo^tioorj.idnponthe.11. On tha inside ol buddi g, cnb around with boa,ds to the l,eight jon wi.sh o n,uke the pile, leaving a Bpace of fiftej. i, ehes be tween the.n and the outside. As the onions are put in, set a small bundle of straw ho em , ab< -u one. iu five feet, to act us a venti- 'Uor yhen eoid weather approaches, fill the space around the outside, with the onion-tops which are cut or an equ.valent, and bank around outride the building yh utter of some kind. In this reuMon near the shore, sea-weed is used to a good purpose, but coarse j nanure wdl do, having some place wllere the air can I be let .n ,u «ild weather. Cover the top of the onions «.th dry later, such as hay, cornstalks or the like If put up u. good order, they will keep in this way and perhaps b„Dg price enough to pay the e:.tra work HOW TO KAISE OXIONS. use ";'"«"''''>« '"I'-^. « Pooket-knifo is genrra.l, used Tins work can be dono at any time after the' are housed but those intended for keeping lato i^ Spnng wdl do better to remain in the tops untH wan.,^ fir market U in difficult to tell at what time they «'-mld bo „,Hrk,.ted, as the price varies with the seasons. The large quantities raised alon;; t!,e shore here are sold i,. New-York, mostly by the barrel, sen, .-oops sa.hng between the city and the difTeren, '•n . rup- are sent as soon as they . re lar.a- enough '" 'te lull, and continued until late in sprin- As a g...era, rule, probably, it would be W..11 to disnose o, o^n^UMf of the crop before the holidays, and look out for the remauidf r. Five hundred bushels per acre area fi.ir yield bu, «even or eight hundred bushel are often raised. Us.'.allv t..o y,ek .s less the lirstyear or two; after ..hat, if well manured, the crop is more certain and the h'nd may bo cont,nued in onions year after year. ^ .,171 ground that has produced onions for forty years ic No. III. BY JONATHAN DENNIS, NEWPORT CO, R. I. The Island of Rhode Island and the shores of X.ara- ' gausett Bay, have long been oolebrated for the raisin.^ ! of on,ons, ,.art.c.ularly ,ae town of Bristol, situated on ' the mam land, twelve miles fron, the citv of p'ov' ' •dence, and ojoying a fine harbor, fron. which lir^x." q;«osofomonsa.eannu^ iork and M' the southern ports of the Union, but the largos trade perhaps, is carried on with the I'.sland of Cuba, to whu.h great quantities of potatoes, and omons, and other vegetables, are annuldly shiopea bnngmg sugar and molassus as return cargo' ' Newport also carries on a considerable trade in onions and other vegetables, with the South JUr^'"'"- °°'°" '■"^"'''' " "'^''^ ^""' ""J i*" i^ i« not ' n. urlly so u nmst be made .so. by the n,lditiou of a .beral dressing of manure, otherwise it is of l,ut little use to ry to raise a crop of onions ; bh.ck heavy sdl and rather moist, or such as will not .duller from d7out perhaps is the best ,• but almost any .soil that will , ! duco a good crop of Indian corn will answer if made nch enough. OM gardens that have been Ion. cui!: y^d wi ! generally raise a cr,, without much difn- cu>, bu„ew land, or land th..t has not be.n hHdv euh.vated ,;,r a number of year., will not goner; r P^^luxea ,,er.,pf;.u.e,ir^^^^ ^apno^e, to the manure not becoming .sufficiently in ' corporated with the soil. Those not experienced in the rnismg of tins cr,,p should not bo discouraged if thov .m,st her crop., .succeeds better the l.,„gor it is plant- cd on the s.me ground, except in some instances af- tor long planting m the .s.amo place, they seem to be- come diseased from son.o cau.e not well understood, hen alternating with another crop for , year or two Ks said to remedy the cvi,. This disea.se 'sho.s if el sici 1 1 ;' ', "" '""■" ""^ ^"^"'•"" -'■ - y^"-v tT ^1 ; '"'^ "'^"'^ ^'■"'''''^•"^ "'« '-'v^'^ tbey appear r.n!^;'?,'"~''''"' '■'■"'^ '^'' ^'"^-P^" r consider the "0 , but barn or .stable-munurc will answer nearlv a ^el on most soils; .sea manure is considered excel lent on our soils. The waters of Naragansett B «,,shcd on the shores and collected bv the f,rmerB, a most valuable manure for this crop Largo quantities of fls,, are taken' in this bav, and hen composted and mi.-.ed with barn or hog:y rd mauure, are much use. ^or onions. Guano does ^o, ■3; "^ '""' •" ''■'''' "'^ '•' -^-^ — "th r crop and I wc-^ uot advise farmers ^o try to raise oS aXP^SillRNCK OF PIlACnCA.T. GKOAVKBft. tet-knifo is geiirrad; • Hriy time after thej for kecpiiifr |,,to in thi> toj)s until wnntr-ngiTit is plant- )'ne instances af- they seem to be- well understood, ur a year or two -'•■ISO shows it'.olf li'ij,' of a yellow ives they appear -'0 the disorder is I r consider the mswcr nearly as msidcrcd excel- tiragansett Bay ^nts, which are I'v the firniers, an, and produce ti tlii.s l)ay, and rn or hog-yard iuano does not fio other crops, to raise onioni witti il aioue. Wood aahes aro an excellent manure oj aay Bud, lud purluips the gieensand of Now Jersey would auawei, us they soei' to require potash. pREPAUATiox OF THE Soiu — Tho manure should bo spread twenty-five or thirty loads for two hors^es or one pair of oxen, or a c^irt-load of forty bushels to tho acre, and p'luughed in with a g(x;d even furrow. The depth will depend on the depth the soil lias been previously culiivateil. Tho whole should be thorough- ly turned over, covering the manure completely ; a!id if the ground has not been highly manured previously, it should have a light diV8,-iiig on top, of decomposed niauaro, or wuod a.sliea Then harrow the ground line with a light harrow, and rake smooth and level, re- moving any coarse manure, stones, or hinips that may interfere with planting or hoeing. If you have a large bc(i, it saves labor to strike furrows through it, siiy a rod or more apart, before connneucing to rake, into which all the lumps of manure and small stones may bo deposited aud leveled over with the soil. Those places will be found to pioJuco as well or better than the rest of the pieces. PliVNTiNU — Plant in hiils with the rows twelve inches apart, and six inches between tho hills. We use a machine that plants in liills, two rows at once, at tho required distance apart. Never plant them in drills if 30U can avoid it. If you have no machine that will plant in hills, I think you will save time in the after-eultivatiou by planting by hand. It is te- dious work to wei'd a drill-row, but in hills you can do most of the weeding with tho hoe. Put from six to eight seeds in a hill if you wish to raise them of nearly uniform .sizo for marketing by tho bushel. With us, where most of the crop is bunched ou straw, for tho West-Iudia aud other foreign markets, we put from ton to twelve seeds iu tho hill, and we never thin them out. They seldom all veg(.'rate, aud some will be cut up in hoeiug, so that two thirds the number you plant will be all, perhaps, that will come to maturity. They require but slight covering, not exceeding one half or three quarters of an inch deep, pressing the earth down sigiitly upon the seed. Our machines are pro- vided with a roller that does tliis. Onions wi". grow well very thick if provided with a suflBcient quantity of manure. Vaiiieiiks — The kind will depend altogether on the market you wish to supply. We raise the common red onion, becau.so it suits our market. Eacli one should consult the wants of his customers in this as in every other ciop. Tho Yellow Dauvers is a good sort tor our home market. It is hardy, cooks whi'^e, aud keeps well through the winter. Tho White Portugal is a delicate onion, and sells tho highest in our home markets uf any variety, but is a poor keeper for winter and spring use. Tlie red with us is dividod into tlireo aurts, as they aro cilkd, though in fact they are all one, namely, tho early, second ear'.y, and lato, and are produced by merely selecting the onions for peed. The early is a tlat onion, sometimes even holiowed at the crown, the second early is full and round, and the late is some- what pointed at both ends. Therefore all you have to do to produce those variities, is to select tho flattest ouiotis you can find, to raise your seed from, if yoB wish to raise early ; the full round for the second early, and so on, and you can readily produce the kiad you wish by a few years' pronagation in this way. Wa raise the second sort mostly because it produces well, and suits our market, though there are considerable quantities ot tho early variety raised for tlio early market, which do very well, althouga tiiey do not pro- duce as much, but bring a higher price on account ot being early. Bo careful in purchasing seed ' buy fron those you can rely upon, as old seed is v^.y un- cert "n. Th(. potato-onion is largely raiseil by mark t-gar- deners, to be pulled up when partly grown, anu tied in bunches of six or more for tho market. They fire a valuable variety, being' of mild flavor, and cook very white They aro propagried by sets and not by seed. A largo bulb set o\it in spring will produce a number, some of good size, which may be pulled for m..rket or the table, with several small ones, which may by set tho next year, and which in turn produce one or two large ones. There aro a great many raised from pips, as they aro called, which aro the very small onions lefl from the main crop of the red variety, set out in spring similar to the potato-onion. They will incline to run to seed, and the seed-stalk must be broken off. Bo careful to break them below the large place on tho stalk, and they will produce a good bulb for early use. Both the pips and potato-onion may be set thickly in drills, as early in spring as the state of tho ground will admit of^ and wit!) a litle hoeing tlicy will pro- duce a good early crop. There is a variety called tho top-onion, which produces the seed or set on the top, like tho garlic but they are not much grown, and with us are not considered worthy of cultivation. IIoEiXG. — Onion.'? shou'd bo hoed as soon as tho rows can be .sceti, and as often as tlio weeds show themselves. I consider it better to hoe often, for you can hoe them twice over when they are not very weedy, in about the same time it would take to do it once if you let them got overrun with weeds; and then it is a long and tedious job to cleat them out, be- sides injuring the crop in so doing. After tho second or third hoeing, when they have got a good start, car- rots may be planted between the hills in two out of three rows, and so on, leaving one out of three for space to lay the onions to cure, and in this v.ny a good crop of carrots can be raised without injuring tie onions but v ry little, if any. Large quantities of car- rots aro raised in this manner with us with very lit' le expense. They will want one hoeing ottei barvestii if 8 Jhe OftioHB, to cl.an out ony weeds that may be «till tan m, on U.o ground. The canC. will gi .J U >y till frosf, ami even after. ^ luri y Lu) them n. rows, two or threo row.s to,roti„.,. B^a,ght and ov.nh., and when the top. ar , c^^;!!' I out thera oil; ,eavu,g about two incL. of the stS" ' Btortd, or they may be marketed immediately In topp>nft have the bottoms at the left hand and tl S': T'^^'^ f""^' "- — " «>'eep.hei "n e ngH ^^hen, ,f ihey are laid evenly, you can fd-< ! «er at once instead of taking eifoL";^':,.: bo>s that .-..re used to it will top ,he,u verr fast -y equires nuaeli practice, but so.ne boys will „nL,. HOW TO EAISE OXIONS wun, take a turn ruuni the i.^ni- , tl > a largo walmi; ..t ti.a ,„ "ouom, to the size of length k' ' t ^'' ""•' "'""' '"" '« '^^■'•■Ivo in ^ • "^"-P '^° '■''"^^ ^t-'-aight, and with a little practice, you cau make a neat bunch thai will suit ir '-uy markets, better than loo.se onion, ad also u^ up and make salable the .small-sized oniJns I "unrlied to live hundred bushels per acre though «•. ' 01 tide wf^ T' 'T '"''"■' "'"''-'''^ "' "- "^"'ii'H' on t de.u ater dnvct from the held. When the shippers y .on. two to three dollars the hundred Inmch fo \Molo ciop at onee and directly from the field it it --^-daprohtablcerop. Thesis little dcl!:^t«: KtajUa,, except ,or a tew early ones in our homo '-ti'o.e.i ;;;ten 'f'T"'^'"'p'^'" -1-p.s would answerif not ,00 warm. T " j.o M »ot be moved wln'lo Iro/e,, o^- ^ ^ " them inunediatelv. ' '""' '"^ '''''' '' ™°^ n,ave written especially with regard to the onion No. IV. D,,llcd s,„i „T' """ l"'"i"»"'tli» BY D. C. EEYlfOLBS, ClINTOH CO., PA. X..V1, .i:;h::t:;;~' '"'"'" EIPEUIKNCE OP PRACTICAL GROWERS. icli thnt will suit, in Jiiicms, ;hkI oiso u».. (1 ouioiis. 3 stilted at from four pt'i- acre, though we •'w varies fi-oDj tliir- rercdat tliclandin.ir Wiien tlie shippers mndrcd Ijuncjies, of e quantities, taking fi'om the field, it is is little done in tlie ones in our hotno dry codl place, to ■t is a good place ir liiniily use, oov- <-'Vent tlieir tliaw- wish to keep a is tol(>ral)ly tight, 111 hay or straw, Tiie collar, unless tlieni, on account 'V basement-story n. They should 3U wish to cook ^rd to tho onion ■y are raised aa arge tracts, and e ' seeds to the ceds, and pat •d ashes over 'lie eighth of grow up and iiportunt pre- aiik weeds ia in ilr'fl coiin» tliinned out; Hy equal to lulh. Thet, i"i, but I an-. 3 than they tlio ouioM fial to scat- I propertiet This is about aa good a way to cultivate the onion from tho seed to tho perfect large onion, as I have ever seen, or tried — and it is my custom to examine every new idea, or experiment, that comes btlbre tho public, with a view to a correct plan, not only with the onion, but all kinds of vegetables. In September, the necks oi' tho oi'i-ns should be twisted, and after tlie leaves become yellow, take the crop up, and place the onions under a sli-d, exposed to sun and air until they are quite dry o.i the outside. Of the differetit Kinds, I prefer the white, aa not being so rank to the t iste, and we know they always bring a better price in the nuirket. Although I confess to having been often disappointed in my experience with Patent Ollice seeds, o\vii/>^ to their age before tliey are placed in the ground, yet I can safely recommend the " wliite onion" obtained from England, as of superior quality both aa regards size and taste. Besides tho onions raised from the seed, we can grow them so as to have a supply in July. The ground, in this case, must bo prepared early aa the weather will permit, Ie February, and for seed take a number of those small bulhs that are always found in tlie beds just described, and which are no; above an inch broad. The bod being ready at Uio end of the first week, form it iuto .squares on the surface by means of cross-strings. At tlio places where the lines meet, press in an onion, one third of the oninn lieuig placed in the ground, .so that the bulb will rcmniu lirm and erect. After this Ls done, you will h^iven bod with the onions in squares, Ave or six inches apart. Now, the onion naturally forms its bulb the lirst year of its growth, and forms tiower and seed in liie second year. Of course, there- fore, these aiivdl onion.s, being in their second year, will attempt tv form tliiwer and seed, and this must bo prevented by plucking off the flower-head as soon as it makes its appearance. A second attempt will bo made, which niu.st also bo preventrd in the .same way. Thus, tho Slip, whieli would otherwi.so have "run to seed," will be kept in tlie bulb, and by degrees two. three, or four medium-sized onions will bo dovelopod. These are to be taken in .Tuly or August, and dried under a slud, as betiiro directed. A great amount of nonsense, in the shape of "e.\- perimeiits," has been given to the world on the subject of the onion; but as I havo already remarked, v.ive mo a soil ri'jii liglit, deep, and well exposed to the 8UU, and in adiliiiciu. a lew bu-shels of leached ashes, ana a roaponablo quantity of common .salt, and I will flliow you a iTop of oniona equal to any ever produced by any other mode. The onion is a plant whose roots feed upon nourish ment on or Ttry near tlie surface — hence deep .sowing and planting, as well as hoeing tlio earth around the plants, are to be avoided. In very hot weather i:i summer, it may be necessary to water them — but d.j not carry this to extremes. Tlie onion is a very hardy plant, and I have frequently left bulbs in the groand iliroughout the wir ter for the purpose of obtiiining an early mesa on the dinner-table in spring, These is anotlier mode of raising the onion which I like very well, although requiring a greater length of time to develop. This is by sowing the seed, thickly in drills from three to five inches apart, having preparel the ground in the same mauuer as above described, and reserving the leached ashes and salt for tho second year. By this method, you procure a number ol bushels of small onions, which are to be kept over winter in a place dry, not too warm, and yet where they will not freeze. These must be planted as early as the spring weather will admit, in the second year, and the tlower-shonta muat be plucked off, as I have said in speaking of the early summer variety. They must be planted in the same way, in squares of hvo or six inches ajiart. Tne onion has been too slightly cultivated. Tliis is owing to the vulgar notion of its unpleasant mnell. It is true, it is apt to affect the breath, so that one wlic has eaten (jf this really wholesome vegetable, will smell of it for many hours afterwards. But this should bo no reason for abandoning its use, as we can always so arrange our meal that it can be eaten when there is no risk of this sort. The onion has been successfully nscd as a medicine, particularly in croupy alTectinns of children— both the ' expressed juice mixed with sugar, and iu tho form of a poultice to tho cLest and extremities It is stimu- lant, acts upon tho kidneys, upon the bronchial tubes ai.d air-jiassiiges, and will e.\-cite irritation on the skin. If eaten in moderaii n, it increases tho Appetite and promotes digestion, and may lio used as a condiment ; but iu largo quantities it is apt to cause tlatulenee, gastric uneasiness, and febrile exeitwaent. It may be given witli advantnge in dropsy and gravel. If it be boiled, it loses its e.sRonlial oil, aiai beiMiiies n whole- some and harmless es.^ulcnt. It may also bn ro:isted and split, and applied with bcnetit to suppurating lunior,s. In fact, it is one of the most useful vegeviblofl we possess, mid deserves bettor trentmeut ul the hiuidi of man. If HOW TO &A1SK ONlOm. No. V. Br STEPHEN HOYI & SOS, rAIEFIElD CO.. CT. uuions. lo raiso them succt-siiiliv u ; ■ •^atti..beri„,t. T,,e soil bL 2;, ,' ."IE"' Pair crops of cions may bo raused upon a hJ^r - m favorable sea.so,,., but the top. ar te f LS ^ turn yellow ju.. a.s they begin to iotto., a J 1 down belore tl.ey are of much si.e, thus very lateH uted w.th some hoed crop, and no weed., allowed 1 berailv Vn , « ''' '""""''" '''""''^ be applied li- be.aily .No dehn.te quantity can be recomn.endeu -L thecondamn of the land varies so much • Tu a. . ;;^....aecon,^::':;-:---n-^ "r " '"""?'^- '""^ '"'- '--J a«l'es very bl a o rr' ""--P--"' no other ma.fure. J d of ar"'?''' ^""' --'"P--i^- using ne oad Of ashes to ton or twelve of m, ck Lnl! oetttr. iish composted with mucli ,u;ka^ „ superior manure for onion, not exce 'cd i f^L LfbT ir.;i::i::ir.:;;;:;;;r ""•'"'•'' '^""••'• Pi.m.«n,,,„, ir„,„„,n.v„, K,„._Ti,i, „ „„,,, ,^, = ;r V-S: &£ .own. ii.en spread on the ma.uire and plough in hallow, say four in.hes. If ashes are used sZ Z on. upon the surfi.ce and harrow in. Afle ,' if there are anv then r„n oi ■ ■ ••"'- stones, the ffro nH «n ; " ^"^' '"'P""»nt to have »ne gro.nd fine and clean b.foro fin,vi„„ ,,. „„.,,, , ibo after.cul,ivation depend, upon ihir""' rf ZT^''""'" '■' "''"''"'^' '"-"•''"''^' '" ''"i^i-'K' onions f more nnportance than the seed, which hLJT *^' '-tart with ir the seed ,s poo: m:nlt; come, or a part comes, it not only lessens the crop, but 1st Zl ""'""'"""• "---e found Sth most reliable course to raise our own seed. The be^t mens should be selected and put out as e r ly a poss 1 ,n t e .^pring; in row. three feet apart, and «xn,ches distant in the row. IIoo ofteu to keer d^a.. and When the hulls begin to open, remove 'icads to some place under cover, where they may re- -." to be cleaned out at leisure. 1,. J,2Zl oosened from the heads by threshing them wS. ""'Urbyrubb,nKh,thohands,andtlfenrntVot - fmanng-mill. If it is ,hen put into a tub of wa r tf poorseedwillfloatandmayberemovedfrom tes^ lace, leaving the good at the bottom, in a clean state HHer w,,,h it should be taken out anT drtd We have frequently bought seed, as thosc"Tust 1 n en ,g the business have to do. In this ca.eTt « ould be tried before sowing. This may ..done by «pnnkii,g a (ew seeds over the surlaee of the cotton «"d pacing the tumbler in a warm place. In a eS days the seed will germinate if it is good It is m portanttohavenewseed,asoldisveryliab,ft^^^^^^^ ' We n r '7 ' "" ''"""^ '^ °'°'' ^^"W*^ «"J puny. • We preter the rod globe variety for general cultL Uon as they are hardy and yi.:d better than a ; o " V nte onions sell for a large price, but they are more '■■'dor, and we have condemned them for ,^.nerall ---^<-com4;^;':i:rj,;:r^^" ^-o;.,.sa may be done with alnio.st any seed-drill 'but ve^getierally use one made expressly I Uie o ' owing two rows at once, twelve inches apart I' Pou-nlsofseedtothe^aore'L,:^.:^.^;:^;;;: «- J.ould be sowed as ear,; al t.m ^^ llOKlNO AND Wppni^n « rca because they cov^ 1 ' "'"^ """^ ^'"'^''■ -mmon hoe. Repel th, T'' '"'' ^'""' " "ud .ollow by weeding, using the ^ZZ,^ '""'' move all the wer.lg „u .i ,■ «■"''« 'are tore- '-<'-' »:'::^z:::::"sz7"^'"" EXPKlilENCB OP rBACnCAL GROWERS. 11 Jossens the crop, but Vu have found it the- vvn seed, Tlie bet-i 'lit out as tarly a.= hree feet apart, aud Iloe often to keep ■'J open, remove the whore they may re- '. I ho seed may bu isliiug them with a I'd thtn run ilirough J a tub of water, tho novfcd from the sur 'ni, in a clean state, » out and dried. as those just com '• In this case it is ma.v ho done by ■vet in a tumbler, iice of the cotton, I place. In a few is good. It is im very liable to faK. feeble and puny. >!• general cultiva- er than any other. >ut they are more II for f;eneral cul- « with them, and are very liable to i'lre their sale, my .seed-drill, but '()r the purpose, nches apart. A with the nead ol « 'iian and boy 'lave found lour " « P'"°t« When ti.;;:, IT ~::,T-^^r ^^•'^'' '" ^'^■^^• the soed.balk and drr^ ^ "'"''^ ^'"^'^^' ^^^^ "^ When dry, IC h^^ Xr t''^ "^'-^^ ''^^^^^ In choosing the ground n -o,,^! • ^OBide.hi,,,onaeinttnsbe r^Trr"''^ cashed by spring rain« r . '"""'^ '" '"^ ~ CJidike .ost othe. crops^^.t.is i;be ^l 7 «^don t e same ground for a great numhfir J "^ still ^ •ing good crops "'^^•""■•'^ «'«^ •■'>uH b pi, ,7" :" '°^^*'"'"'^- Stable-manur Bones or r 2 ' :; " "'"'"' '-^ '"™ '' «" ""dcr, rowirjg s done ai,„„„ ^ ''^'^ tlio har ^t.iv^the;:;,,;^;;;;;:t::'X;er;r'"^^ isprofer;;d ; 4!'::r7P^'"«- ^an ploughing andgivesaclLcet;;: leslfd" ?" "'''"'*^ ^^°^^' -"ich is a great «dv«C ^s 1 ^ 5""'" '"'''' !iw from fm.f a, i i "^ "-ho ground . even brush-l.a'rr v IftJ ';"',' """ ^^■'"' " "'""^ Sow in drills one tfp .t gTul" ' '" "'^' "^'• sow about l-our pounds p';reS Z' """'1"' '" good order an,! „,.„ '"° »'"""'J<^ '» i" -ed b, pushing the^:: v; r j:;r '"r^ ;"^ eorn.hoe a:ong the drills Tf ,. '^'^ "^ " .■™«H .. w5,.j;i ,,':*;:- «-«^=v„, --eeders, to take out t^ T' ''"' '" ""^ ""^'^ ^^"b ■-I •." i.ie.Hsgen;:an;';:fC::'"^;;::^p;'f>^-;;-^ nearlr ill f.ii„„ J ""en tlio tops have th;r«:tur^re:hrr"'r^^"'"'^'^^^' tl'ey are pulled until ..V "" "'^ ground after •'-'-" a cir;r.''ror3:r,'?\''T-^'-^ ''oapedupsoonaaerpuilingnd '; '''''^'" " Much careshoul.l hV t '" '''"''^ '" <^ire. t'-aieon": ::::;^;:7^^^ dewed. They shou Ih ^ '"^ *''° ""^'"^ ""i'- ""ions. A good r ?' P""'' °'"-"«'- "'«" ^ed Til.}- .liouM be !,„, cj , ,; "'"' "'"'" "»»'• »««e «-. o,„«, 7;. ;;; r:'""""^" « »,„. p., ,„,„.,, «,rb, ri'oV :"'"' """■ - ground. ""•'» ♦^"0 from ono ^re oJ EXPERIENCE 01'' rRACTlCAL GROWERS 13 d 8ix, eight, or lei. with one acre or ve HDnndoned Mie lliat from three to ;s, and hang whore it will have plenty of air, as I know of no secil that is tiioro likely to chit than onion-seed. I'KKPARATtON' OF fiiB GROUND for tho reception of tliu .seed, is tho next thing of imponanco. I have seen good onionn on roelaimod bog swamp, also on re- claimed swamp with a clay sub-soil, but I think the best groiuid for tho purposo is a dry loam. It should tirst be in hood crops throe or lour years, and all weeds kept from going to seed. Clear your ground from all rubbish, stones, etc., in the fall, and, if po.s- sible, put on twenty loads', of tlfty bushel each, of flue, well-rottod mannro to tho aero, and plotigh it in before winter. !f t'ius trt'atfd in !h" fall, you cm sow t!ic seed in ilie spriuir much earlier and easier than if ploughi'd in the sjiring. Hut as many nro apt to put olV until to-niorrow what should be dono to-day, I will i.\y, manure your ground in tho .ipritig as soon ns it 1.S dry (Miougli to work, ploughing it in at onco, aa tiust as it can be harrowed, raked, and sowed, ag it is apt to become lumpy if allowed to lay in tho sun after ploughing. Never uso a tooth-harrow, as it will draw out tho manure. I smooth the ground as follows: Take a plank eight feet long, one foot wiilc, and three inches thick. Through this, boro four holes, and insert four sticks, four feet long and thrco inches square. On the under-sido of tlioso sticks, fasten boards. Tho front plank standing cdgewi.so as it moves along, will level the furrows, while the boards beliind will smooth them. "Wooil ashes, at the rato of fiom one to two hundred bushels to tho acre, harrowed in, will p.ay double their cost in most ca.scs. After you have leveled and smoothed your ground as much as con venient with your team and leveler, uso tho hand- rake, leaving tho surface as flue and even .as possible. In order to have your rows straight, draw a lino .across the field. Draw the planting-machine by tho line. These machines for planting, which cost about Ave dollars, plant two drills at a time, one foot apart, and about half an inch deep. I uso four pounds of seed to tho acre, and cover by drawing a hand-rake length- wise over tho drills. Tho usu.al time of sowing hero in tho southern part of Connecticut, is from the first to the flfteenth of April. A hand-roller drawn over the ground after planting, will help the .seed to genninatc. Aliout two weeks is required to bring up the seed, and they should bo hoed as soon as the rows can be si'cn, which will generally be the latter part of May. The most convenient hoo which I have seen for this purpose, is eight inches long and one and a half wide, inserted in a handle six feet long. Much depends upon liow tho hoe st.ands, about its working easy. If made right, the dirt will slide over it. After tho weeds that are cut up by the hoe. have had time to die, they should bcgono over carefully one row at a time, cutting and pulling every weed from tho row. The most con venient way for doing thi.s, is to crawl on your knees with a ainall hoo in one hand, to cut where there is room, and pull with tin' other hand. Tho hoe for this purpose should bo about threo inches long, three fourths of an inch wide, inserted in a handle eig'.it inches loe.g. From this time they .ahould be kept perfectly (tee from weeds; to do thi.s, they will require going over fVom thrco to Ave limes, or once in two weeks; but as to tills, there can be no rule given, as much deix;ndi upon the soil, the kind of mamwu wcathe.", eta 14 Ili8 much easier to keep tl,era clean by going over m often, than to put itofTtoo long; lIl.'^JZ houM ^T *'"" ™^'''^"^'' '"^ ^-l- There Harcl,ygrov.'insiglitofonc. before they are done growing; at other ti.nes tl,ey W.I1 stand stiTand never fl.li. If t„ey f.l do.vn t y nre fat to pull when about three fourths of the Z arodea v.-hieh is generally t,,.. last of August or tl TJT "' """'■'"''''■ '''' — they' re pulM ■'fter they are lit, tho better they will keen nni ,. •'righterthey.viinook. Con„nei;'Vp Jir^ fe: ws and lay then, one side. Hoe up'^^lfe weed m^ rako the,n oil, then pull the next rou-s and hoe otV e weeds as before. Continue thus th.^ugh the Pul w.th your hands, and l..y then. oL careA^ " rthe weather is good, after they have lain sp e " i' Buea^ ami they arc then less likclv to sweat .(>er ■ ° ■'' ^ ""y "^11 trencral r lio r,t to put m tho day fbllowin.^ Vovor el t »] . '" -^M-vor cart t hem unf If tli'Tiire to bo JispoBca of bcfo,, „m mitlior around tho outside with sea-weed n ' 'P'"" ;;;Hof.oK.,,.„,,o.— i:;::-,s- «^r They can be put in .such a place three feet deen W.th hay, cornstalks, or something of the fed! to^ , nOTV TO RAISE OA'IOXS. d. ou.r t em, and they will come out good in tn. nd, fiom the on.on. If they got f,o.en. let them omam stdl and covered until thawed. Always harul •-m as carefully as you would apples, as a S brmse will cause them to mould and rot asSS"'""''"""'"™^^'"!-'-'^-' 20 Io,.dsof manure at ,$1.50 jgo.oo Cartmg, tnrnfng, spreading, etc % oo 100 bushels ashes, at nets i?'? ploughing .and harrowing, ■.:." ;:: ' " 4 00 Kaknig and soivinf 4ibs. ofseed,at,ii,:.':;: ;;•"" Hoein,' four times, 6 davs * "" ^^'•^^^"'g four times, 24 davs, . . ,nnn Pulling .and piling, 12 davs,.. .^Z drawing i„ with team, t^vo days Von Topping 5O0 bushels, at 2 cts ,„'! Marketing, .... " Interest on land. ^'^'^ 12.00 ''■^f-'t' SI37.0O A crop of onions will vary fn,m 200 to 800 bushels o the acre, according to the state of the soil rn",, ! the care taken of tliem etc ti, • ' '"'^"'"^^' from 10 ets. to ,S1 per ,;;;,::[• ^"^^ P- «- varies The red globe onion is the virlf.ti-^„ n keep, brt or, Tho ,„,„.,n, „„,„„ ,,H„,,;;;;7:. "' l.noo, b«. i. voo- .,pt ,0 ,„,„„„ „, „, , 2 "ta-o *„i„tioo, but „Hcr ,1,0,. b ,v„ !, ', , oxporioooo, they „ill n,,,] n„, ° ' ', '" >'"' jobotoo,™, if.voo.totoi';™, ,r,„T„t,r; -;-o.,ob,.;tbi'rb;::;:t.s::-;-,'«^™ ."-^c-r: «■:,;: ^::£ -- not far from 2- 10 000 ^fu-n 1 , . '"•'' ^^car - O,000(tuo hun.i,.,d timnsand) buHhelH ■BXPEBIENCE OP PRACTICAL GKOWKBS 16 out good in Kit , cut t!ie top one f/ozcn. lei thcTf '• Always hnntllr Pple.9, as a slitrlit rot. witli me is aboiTl $30.00 6.00 17.00 4.00 4.00 4 00 COO 20.00 10.00 G.OO 10.00 8.00 12.00 ••..$137.00 to 800 bushols le foil, matmre, 'ice also varies rcncrally rai.sed 1- varieties, and ngs the highest before winter. ■ficular in tho lind icD years' ■'ct somethiiij.5 ' go on your "inch time on ^■ernnce to do 'lad better sell ft'hoat. }■ a large pro 'w days will <-'rl year after •Ti'^I topping ' men. of Fairfield t last year >f"i) biwhela No. VIII. BY G. I. MILLER, NIAGARA, CANADA WEST. It ifl ot lUo greate.st importance in growing onions to Save tho right kind of soil, and that in the highest urate of cultivation. In my opinion, a light sandy *)il, well dniined for all seasons, is preferable. Onions also can lie raised to great advantage on bhick loam or light clay soil, providing the seasons are not too dry. To prepare the ground, I would recommend a piece that has been planted witli potatoes, manured with rotten horso-stfljle manure, at tho rate of about fifty loads per acre. As soon as the pnlntoes have been taken from tlie ground, plough almut seven inches deep, letting it lie until the first of April, or as soon as the ground will admit of being worked, then adding about ton loads of hog-raanure, well spread over the surface, and plough under from five to ^ix inches deep, after which spread a few bushels of hen-manure, and then harrow tho ground until it is well pulverized. The land is now ready to sow, for tho earlier tho seed is sown, the better the onions wdl bo. Testing the seed can be done by cutting two sods from the ground, and pouring boiling water over them, letting the water drain well oil', then placing the seed between tho sods, and laying them under tlie stove for about two days, when tlie seed, if good, will sprout. I would recommend tho largo red globe onion as being the best variety for market. The seed should bo sown by a seed-drill, eighteen inches apart, in rows lengthwise of tho land, at tho rate of about tlireo to three and a half pounds of seed per acre, leaving a space of three feet in the dead fur- rows for weed", etc It is necessai)-, as soon ag the rows can bo plainly seen, to go through them with tL« hoe, leaving tlie ground as level as possible, and at tho expiration of oiglil or ten days, go through them again, weeding, and thinning them from one to two inches apart; after which it will be necessary to apply tho hoe every two weeks, always bearing in mind, that the ofteii?r the ground is stirred, the greater will be the produce. After the tops are dropped down and withered, then ptill them at once, for if loft in the above condition, they will take tho second growth, which will injure the quality materiallj'. After they arc pulled up, let thorn lay on the ground for a few days to dry, then top tliei;. with a sharp knife, taking cure before doing this, thui the onions are perfectly dry ; after which, spread them thin, in a dry, cool pliieo, and then you have them ready for the market. It is ;.i.lvantageous to grow them on the same piece of ground fur five or six years, adding a little manure every spring before ploughing. Onions raised by this method will produce from seven to nine hu.idred bushels per acre, on a light, .sandy soil Onions raised on the aforesaid plan have taken the first prizes for tho last six years at our count} and township shows, and the first prize at the Provin cial Agriculture Show, hold at Toronto, Canada West. No. IX. BY U. E. DODGE, CHATAUaUE CO., N. Y. Seed. — To cultivate onions succcssfidly, and with- out failures, care is necessary in selecting and raising Feed. Seed should never be sown when over two vcars old. Onions, intended for seed, sliould be care- fully selected, choosing the thickest and tho most per- fectly round, of medium size, and tho brightest colors of the kind. These should be stored through the win- ter, or from Deeember until the opening of spring. i\.t the earliest possible moment, they should bo set in furrows opened with tho plough, three feet apart, and (bur inches in tho row.s. None but Hue, well-pulver- ized land, should b used for raising onion-seed. Cover two inches deep. Avoid putting on any lumps or stones, an those, whonover tlioy fall upon the onions, retard their coming up, and oonsequent'y make an on even harvest. All weeds must bo kept down vri'.b the cultivator and hand-hoe, until tlw seed matuif^s, which will 1)0 about the Inst ofAvif,Q3i, or tho nr.st of September — never later than tho dixln of ScptPtii- ber in this latitude. Their maturity taay bo easily known by the cracking of the ball!;. As soon as the balls commence cracking, the headf, enould be clipped, leaving six or eiglit inches of the sVilK adhering to the he.id. Tho juice or sap which the stalk contains, ma- tures more perfect seed than when clipped short. The mode of cutting, is to take a common wooden pail in tho left hand, and a sharp knife in the other, holding tho blade parallel with the thumb. Slin the stalk be 10 tweon tho thumb and knifo at »i,^ i"L pan to tl-.c stand Pf smil- „,,,i „ „i- , , , ° *^ "1'^ ricrht 1>..,„1 «n, „ 5 ' * ^''8^'"^ '•'■'''^^ with ,ht unj .overs tho ,.ead from tho stalk, which -^^'edh,to.a,s.a,„nio;;r^x:^"i:;: H:s;:::::;-''------t:;utt Drying tho seed requires so.o care, nnd neploct in :'" '!'^"°.'='' --^ tl.o cause of great loss by failures tie qualitv. ' inferior R(>ir,._Tliat best adapted to tlio Lrrou-tl, nf nn- • a deep mollo.v loam, res in. on . ,,^1 ?'" " Although a veiref.,h1« r ^ ^' ^ '°"-'' '""'^soi'- -telay-Ld^^or^^Sr^'^^""- •^"'^'' xr-•■■--d^..:Irt:2aS; Pkkparatio.v op Tiiro GRoiivn a -i A,„o„ i„ „,,„„„,„„„„ •; liarrou'inir will mK- fi,„ ' '''' '^ shonll . , ^ '"""'"■'' ^^'"' "10 soil. It ^l.ou d bo harrowed across the furrows nnd ^d-ed "^ngtlnviso of them by hand. '^ PLA.vn.vo.-Draw a lino at one side of tho bed nnd n.^u.an.nrker by taking a piece of seantii,^'^ 1^^^:"-;^ """'™'™'^'^^' -'••--'--- ■ -^■-r.wiLs:d:^;!;js:;t;rr:c HOW TO KAIBB ONIONS. wo:!id'::Sirr;r.a;rr---o^'^ei„gd^, but this is soldi ^j^r;:;:';.^;;''^'^"'^-"'"-^ ;;^.;.^«egLnj-i:-rr^ tl>e scuffle horto.3trr^^' "^^^'^^^ t'"-o"gh with -anin.anditrSl'rSl;?;""'""^''^ -eoding, which should be d e on T L T"^ '''"' nbout four inches hi<.h p plants are lienvy interest on T' ^''""'•^'■'"'"•■^tion hero pays . , ^ ''' "" "'^ ''-'"'"^ "iJe. Tln-n to three ■"chosiu therowdiagonanytl.u.s:.3iM. ^^^ ^ The only sure road to succors win, .i • -itivation. annual manu;"r:"'^::;™P;-^- fluring their crowH, w,, , " attention last year a9^s^ i- V '^ " ^''^' "'''"'''• of this, for over a qu I^te of n ^ " '" °""^'' ''^"P "?"» '« ments And ^ " 'T''' "''" ''3' -^^tual experi- -7 tilled, i:i:-;:r:? --,,-, ., tioatoan;:Li:;":^;;-;:«'^^--excep. '•y rotation. ^' ""' '''■"P^ '"'^ benefited As a market vea-ptablc tim ^ • -iost grown; its ,;i,4'n,:^„~':o:"h:fr ">l'"y from bruise.s as nrnv o.i '" *" •<<^opingqualitiosanUnr ; . t'rT'"'''^'' ''' i"','; hi flict thisi. "7°'' ""'•"' f''^'" "'^ earliest sow. ^a^ocrop:^ii --:;^^^--b,otoo^^ -'•i-'i a lato crop ina, do"; ,, r ■" ""•^''"^ '° defer sowingJater th , . " '" '■' — ''^^ '^^ ■nstofMarclt^ . rr'f'''''°-^'''-"- '^'^ iftlmgroundwasino pi:':' ""'•''" ''""■'•"'^' ■'^I'ould 1,0 lost upon ho •"'""""• ^""^ '''"** tbosoedi.in. A Zo'L:Ty' ;''"'"'''' will not injure it w;,,; ° ' "' '' '"^' '^^"«t.v m-ghts, drnfls upon the b nk , riV"'"''-' '"-• '-^e oro.donswi,ii„ereas:rd;:in^:i.;^^r Ivxchange a largo per centH... 1, ., r ' -^""'^ °' itity All over th« mce of being dry, ii with a hand-rolier; roller upon the drill itly for the germinar ons make their nr It to distinguish the ssed through with woods that may bo first hoeing and on tho plants are nation hero pays • Thin to three . 3 in . 3 in . *^'"^«' n-ing broadcast at i'l a fresh state. no dry pulverized tiie rate of threo this crop is clean oareful attention isitos, onions can writer of tin-s, "'red bushels to lor crop upon it y actual oxperi- onions, and is ? kept free from ro less liable to y are an excej). »s are benefited is one of tho not liable to egotables; its t, render it a ant markets, "li'iff well thb '•■^ of autumn, ' earliest sow- - to obta'n a in seasons in 's net safe to April. The I'o preferred, '"• i^^^o time f^I'riiig until ri^t.v nights. .„ ,•„ p,,,,,^ ,„..X. d ' ^ 'if; te^t"™"'"^^^^'^ °" «oodgrou„r;o,d ^ecps well, and .3 very salable in NewYork markot for U.0 or sbipping. Also a yellow onion, fee" ': c led and -sold for white,) of nearly the LZII an.i nuahues as tho red. supposed to be the DanvcT ;ioids:\;r^^''''°^^''^''"'^°- -'«--% See., -A 11 seed should he raised from good-shinod ^ not large bulbs, to avoid seallions, (thfck net, s green o.uons;) should be water-deaned and kepTverv dry and though geucrally preferred only one Z oj wdl succeed nearly as well ailer tho /econd, oTe en tU.rd 3-ear, ,f it has been kept in a dry place but s ed ".ore than one year old sells at only hllfpric'e Bou2 seed .l,ould ahvays bo put into watr a^d t L/S a short t.«e, and that which does not sink in fin^^, mmu tes, .nay be considered worthless or un.vliahk SoiL._Any good garden soil, from a day-loam' to even qu,te a graveUy loam, say of one -alf „ ixt" is Bu.table. la a dry season the fir.t wiil yidd be H'nd ... a wet one the last-a medium rn.y be best ExPO«tnuo._The best is a dry level, ov.sVgM in- unaUontoa.,poiut of tho eomp.oss but the n„, It should never mdine over four' inches to the rod p.'ejont the rain, from washing away the soil vith the seeds or young plants. An indination of one o two f^'et to the rod is sometimes seen. Tho plant n l.iUs aaer they get wdl rooted, do not suSZ: : -shu.g away of tho soil, but those buried 1" t L washed sou are injured; therefore if possible avdd .teep side.hil,s and hollows, espocialfy , ,X^ w...^... can stand after rains, whid. is mo. il^i Manure -Xo fresh yard-manure should bo used as ■s apt to be full of seeds, which will greatly i„er , e tho abor of tending, and the straw will be i tl>c u ' of ploughmg, raking, and hoeing. mm-soW Z- " manure is preferred. If bar-.ya^d mani; e 1 "ft should be thrown into heaps before the first of Sd o kdl be «ecds and ripen for use by heating, or tm. be earned out to the Add and each load be he .d - u !K,„. hi,u t-nougi, to vegetate tho seeda por ,on to that andthe quality; it should b. from fort, to m\ TJ" ° -■"'■^""' '°'"^« '° 'he acre, and twelve to fifty bushele of leached ashes harrowed or rak d r or sowed on the rows after weeding * I gross werl ''°' '' °^'^''- *° «"' up all E\ / ' '^ '■"°"' ""-^ '^^^ them off- for il oa rr, """'" ^"° '°''''^ ^^•'"' "-^^^th, hoe levd 1 1?"" T'"' "''' ""^^'^ '' '« ''- hollows ^cd I ^T; ' "" '''''" " J"-^' ^-' «"ough to i^-ca tho plougli, breaking it fine- then r.,i-» „, ;;withadu.g-,brk,into^hef^;o:tt:™i: he ne.-t bout. Once ploughmg i^ su.T.cien , i t Jono. A second would throw out the manure Tm wa not suflicent, str.w any special n,anures as nou ;-t e, guano. superpi,osphate, bone-dus^-probr; 2nT\ ""• ^'"' '° """^^ "I^ "- «l«fi-oncy.' If g ouad ,s lumpy, harrow lengthwise first, and finish o^ with Trr,""" "° '^'^^ °' "'° ^'"™- '^°-. c^^ Tb" ™ T' ^'''^ ^^^'-''-•-'. 1858, p g. 108. Then proceed to rake oft" all the stones and rub .sh and to e..n the surface. If the soiUs mel ow after plouglnng, harrowing may be omitted. Many .n.ply scatter short fivsh manure, plough once nd -kociown, drill and sow; but it is a miserab e wly n.akmg extra work iu weeding, and produdng a S Sowi.vG.-This is d,eapost and quickest done with a .nachme, called an onion-sower, which so"^ t wJ ,rows at once, one foot apart, at'^d cost ab ut $5 and .s to be ftund at the agricultural stores. It Jst bo regulated on a fioor or board, to sow he seed to -rage i to « „f an inch apart, which wiil be ablt 4 <-o\ermg. .Make the drills about * of an inr.h ,1 iHSt dril Jh' ■""^'""^•')='^'^'^'terwards following the last dnll with one tooth, and sow by hand frL ! smaU cun. distrihn.!,>„ *i , .. -^ ""'^ "'"^ « rp,„ . ,, ' * -"""fi" Lo vegetate tho seedit i„=t j -n • , ''' "* "'i-erwaras to owintr the KXPEniENCB OF PUACTICAL GROWERS. ID 0., CT '< '' should bo from fortj to tho aero, and twelv* a harrowed or raked In, sding. ground is dry, have tlie oe it over, to cut up all rako them off; for if groat plague. Then if vered witli earth, hoc ;turn it to the hollowf? it just fast enough to ; then rake or scrape row, to bb covered in ig is sufficient, if well out tho maiiuro. Ini- iT quantity of manure scial manures, as pou- bone-dust— probably he deficiency. If the 'ise first, and finish off the harrow down, or 'cuUurist, 1858, page fi" all tho stones and If tho soil is mellow bo omitted. Many re, plough once, and is a miserable way, id producing a light- quickest done with r, which sows two ind costs about $5, ral stores. It must to sow tho seed to lich wiil be about 4 sual quantity for a out. Tho machine 3ne by drawing the r one or two rows may be scattered in the drills before J of an inch deep )ld way of sowing 1 a head three feet les scantling, with atod. and one foot r to live feet iorjg lich must also be rds following the by lmn(i, from a I tho thumb and I for the machine, but itiflatediom prcix-'ss. Jn uitlier case it should bo most carefully I and reguUri' done, and on a still day, or the wind will ' scatter it b'jyond the drills. The straighter and nar- rower the k'eed is sown in the drills, the narrower will bo tlM> ."ti^co kft to weed after hoeing. Kadishes or sonio quick-growio^ seed may be sowed thinly, one or iwo ""eds to a fo'"t, to direct, in hoeing the first time, Its til'; onion top>« are so flue tlioy can scarcely be seen, excepting when tlie dew is on. Tho radishes may bo suffered to grow, and b6 gathered for market. IIOEi.Na. — 'L'hu first hoeing should be commenced when tho rows can first be distinguished, with a hoe eight inches long, made by cutting oil' the back of an old grass-scythe, flattening the blade, and punching a email nolo within ihret. fourths of an inch from each end, wiUiout heating ii, vo wliich a forked brace wiili goose-necks must be riveced through the goose-heads, to attach it to a light, long handle, usually that of a liay-Ri.ke. The Ixiveled edge of the plate .should be down, and the heads of the livets sunk. With this (100 proceed to Sv;i'apo once in tho rniddlo between the ■MV's, with a reach of two feet or hiorc, barely shaving iff tho weeds without breaking tliiough the crust, 'larrying along one or more spaces, ieep tho hoe in good order by rubbing on a flat stone, o.' grinding, and if it clogs, which it will do on now-ploughed ground for two or three years from the sod, push it along on tlie ground as you step forward, or clean with a stick. The sanio process, which is light w(>rk, and quickly (lone, may bo repeated with advantage within a week, out in a fortnight from first hoeing, or less, according to the sizo of tho weeds, hoe again, only breaking up the crust, say about half an inch deep, loo.sening but not moving the earth out of place, in the mieldle of the ppaces as before, or, which is better, with two strokes, one close to each row, making nearly a double hoeing, which, if the rows can bo distinctly or readily seen, is the best manner for the fitst hoeing. V VVeivDIXCt. — The weeders. njpontUciv hands and knees, Bhiiuld follow close upon tho last hoeing, with onioij- weeders, made fiom table knives by breaking off t^c blades to two or two and a half inches from the han- dles, and heating the end to bend it a little to one sid?;, so as to fit it to the curve of the thumb, and cooling it immediately, to return its temper. The back should then be ground to an edg;^ and the corners rounded, 80 as to work it iu either hand. The weeds should be cut off below tho crowns of their roots, say half an inch under ground, or, which is better, loosen the ground two inches deep on each side of the row, bj' drawing tho knife or weeder, thrust into the ground to the handle, and turned a little sideways in tho hand, at a steep ancrle ton':\rds and on one aide of th'.^ row and two inches fron- it, and then by changing hands, on the other, when, if properly done, the ground will bo loosened, so that tho weeds can easily be scraped or nulled out with their roots, and then the earth should tie Dressed back upon the re)ots of tiie onions by the palms of the hands, to hold them firm, and to pr' •■•>nt witheri.ag if they have been injured. Tho wet^s will cause much more injury to the crop if not eradicated, than they will suffer from cutting off the onict -roots two iiiches under ground, which is not necessary, and should be avoided, but may occasionally happen. In two weeks or less they will require auother hoe ing and weeding similar to the last, and a fortnight after, hoeing again, if not weeding. There should be no hilling or hauling away of dirt, but tho sinrface should be kept level. Gathering, — When tho tops die and fall, the crop should be pulled and spread evenly over the ground to dry or cure. Tho scallions (thick-necked or green onions) with tho weeds, if any, should bo thrown into heaps or earned off. After three or four days' drying, turn them over carefully with tho teeth of a wooden rake, without bruising, and let them dry as many days more; or instead, as they preserve a brighter color, put them into heaps of two to four bushels, to sweat a few days, when, if intended for early niaiket, cut the dead tops off one inch from tho bulbs, and barrel to send away; but if wished for storing, they may bo loft in heaps some weeks, or carried under cover on a floor with tho tops on, and piled around the sides of »»), of mice. No. XI. BY H. WADE, FLOYD CO., IOWA. FiHST select tlio beat and brightest-looking onions for seed, and plant them in rows about two feet apart one foot in the row, and when they grow up, drive stakes and draw twine along, to keep tlio heads in their place, uncil ripe. Then cut them off and tie in bunches of about a dozen heads, and hang them in n shed wliero the wind does not blow very much, for a time' and then rub out and spread thin for a few days be- fore putting away for winter, and thus good seed for spring may always be had. ^ow for preparing the ground. I have grown onions on almost all kinds of soil, but the best on a sandy loam. In preparing my garden, out here in the Wp :t, I fixed on a placo to grow my onions. I dug it two good spades deep and raix-ed it as well as I could The soil was pretty sandy and not veiy rich, but very dry. In the fall I put on good rotten manure of any kmd I could get, about four inches thick, and let it lie »U winter, and as soon as dry enough in spring, I mixed (t altogether about eight iuches deep witli a good four- toothed fork. (When I r -.e . them in fields I used a cultivator for this part of the t^-,-'-.) J then let it lie a kw days to dry, and then drag^-oj perfectly, until four inches of the surface was all quite fine. I have a marker that ra-.rks four drills at a time, one foot apart, about one inch deep. A smaU seed-sower is best for plant- 1 mg. Care must be taken n>t to sow too thick, unless you are near a market wher« you can sell green onions • thbo It does not signify, aa thinning loosens the soil for what is left. Rake them in lightly, lengthwise tbe row.s, so as not to get the seed out of the drill- then with a light Iiand-roller go evenly over the piece each way, and leave it till the onions make their appear- •mce. In cultivating, use a light sharp tooth-rake head nu,e inches long, teotli one and a half inches aparf, handle six feet long. It is better than a hoe as you can loosen the soil close to the rows without cut- ting the roots, and if you m.ade a good seed-bed a man will do as much again with a rake as a hoe Rake over every week if the wevf,. ■■ permits, as soon as It IS dry enough after a hard rain to h^ .,- he tor. from crusting. Attend to this at flr.t wol! ad vor will not regret it. About June, as soon as the onions are up enough thin out to about four inches in the row, pulling out at the same time what fow weeds are growing with them, and after that, you may run the small rake between the rows occasionally. Onions may always be on one spot ma garden, but you must manure pretty weU eveiy fall, after the ground has been dug. Once in two years dig two spades deep; and if a stiff clay soil put stones or something at the bottom, for an under- drain. Good well-rotted barnyard manure is as »ood as any to manure with. I have gro\vn them three years m one place, and las' year J had the best and handsome-n I ever saw. You could hardly teU «.« from the other. When the tops begin to faU down, I go orer th« EXPBRIBNCX OF PRAiTnCAL QBOWERS. 81 piece of warm, rich deep, and strike ou» ilf apart, and sot out, onions, (no scallions,; H like." Set them in d cover well. Till plough and Iioe, ridjr. [n August, when the ir by cutting off the ■ead them on a cham- y time when needed, pread a few days on rub the seed out lu I'ill shell much more it rapidly absorbs a r stirring it in water: minutes; all the res' [^haff. Pi't the seed ">c« ont ii" tb« "e*"*)! itly, lengthwise tbff t of the drill ; then )rer the piece each nake their appcar- ; sharp tooth-rnko. ind a half inches sttor than a hoc, as rows without cut- good seed-bed, a a rako as a hoe. ?'r permits, as soon 1 to iirv.j: ho top rat well, iid yor ns are up enough, ■ow, pulling out at rowing with them, lall rake between always be on one mure pretty weU m dug. Once in if a stiff clay soil, om, for an under- nanure is as good rown them three lad the best and i hardly tell ^na I go OTer th« aad press them all gently down with a ral'e-he«d, or They UJd nw m Illinois when t left, that 1 could not ■omcthin^' of that sort, and as soon .as the roote lot go grow onions in Iowa n I did there, but I find I caa, of the soil I use a wooden-toothed rake and turn them and I csheve better ; but I have not begun to grow over, if it is likely to bo fine a day or two, anu then them in the tleld yet, as wo have no market for them, pick them up and carry them to a shed or barn-floor, They pay well if you have a market, if you manure and lay them out thin, till perfectly dry. After this, a well, and care for thorn as jou ahould. good diy cellar I bollove ia the best place to koop them. No. XII. BY J. B. WAKEMAN, FAIRFIELD CO., CT. It is over twenty-fivo years since I raised my lirat crop of onions. I commenced with two rods of ground, and have increased to eiglit acres. There is but one place in the United States where more onions are raised than hero ; tiir.t is in Dauvers, Mass., whero it has been stated they raise more than 200,000 bushels a year. liut New- York market is mostly supplied from this section. It would bo rather a low estimate to place the yield of this town at 140,000 bushelb a vear. Great crops were formerly raised in Wethers- Held, but of an inferior quality, rather small, and sent to market in bunches. I think I can say, from tho time that I first com- menced raising onions, up to Iho present time, I have raised more bushels to the acre than any other person about here. The first and most important item is the seed. It is very important to know what kind of onions it was raised from. In other crops wo can generally tell by the looks of tho seed, whether it is good or not. Not so with oniona It is impossible to tell by the looks of the seed whether it will raise scallions, or the flat onion, or the round deep onion, which is uiosily raised in this section. There w is a great deal of seed bought in Now-York last year, by the farmers near here, which raised mostly scallions without bottoms. It has been estimated by many tliat it was a loss to them of from ten to twelve thousand dollars. It would bo some satisfaction to know from wliat kind of onions it was raisad. I think it must be onions that were grown on a poor soil, and were not fit for market, but left until the next year for seed. I raised the flat onion when I first commenced the business. Tliey will not y eld one third as much as tho round onion ; so we can not judge what the result will bo if we do not know what kind of onions our seed was raised from. Wo have, by selecting tiio largo round deep onion from year to year, im])roved our quality and quantity, so that we r»iso six to nine hundred bushels where we onco raised not more tlian three to flvo hundred bushels. Wo select tho most solid, largest, deepest, and brightest for seed. Seed- onions should be kept from freezing. A light freezing will sometimes injure the chit or germ. Tho beat ground for raising them is level land with a deep soil, free from stones. But I have raised them successfully on gravelly soil and quite stony. I pr&» fer, however, a deep loamy soil. I would plant the ground with corn or potatoes — I prefer corn- -one or two years. It should bo highly manured, anu not a single weed allowed to go to sued. When y^o corn- crop is gathered, prepare tho ground in tho fall for the next year's crop of onions, by putting on twenty cart- loads of well-rotted manure, fifty bushels to the load, pei acre. It should bo free from weed-seed, and ploughed in deep, and not harrowed in the fall. I havj ploughed my ground both spring and fall, manuring at the same time. It is not more than half the work to prepare ground for tho seed, that was ploughed in the fall, and the yield is as good, if not better Hog- manure is the best, but any kind of strong manure will do. All manure should be free from seed. Manui3, either flnb or coarse, should be ploughed in deep. If ashes aro to be had, put on one to two hundred bushels to the pcre. The crop of oniona will pay for them the first year, and they will last from five to eight years. Bone dust is a fine manure. The ground in the spring should be prepared for the seed as soon as it is dry, by harrowing with tooth and brush, until tho ground is level. It will not do to have the ground too mellow. It should be rather hard to have the or.ions bottom well. It needs to be very mellow, about an inch deep, and raked off level. It requires from 'hree to four pounds of seed to the acre. I sow theiu by a machine made very simple, and costing from two to four dollars. It sows two rows at once, twelve inches apart, the wheels being six inches from the hoppers that drop tho seed. The first row must be perfectly straight, which will bo a guide to the second, and so on. To cover them up, I take a hoe that 8t''>nd8 in well, and push it along over the line where the seed is. When they get up so that I can see the rows, I commence hoeing tbem, and as soon as there are any Tk^eeds to be seen, weed them ; and continue to boa and weed as long as there is a weed to bo seen. It will not pay to sow a piece of onions if tli«y are not taken care of, and no crop pays better if well tended. There aro somo farmers that lose one t'.ard or more of iheir crop by not taking proper care of them, and I'et % now lu RAISE ONIONS tinf; tl.o vvaoJs grow after the onions linvo .'Utained some size. If cue intends to raise them year after year on the same piece of ground, (and tlicy will grow as well by heavy manuring as they d'l". tlie lirst year.) he must not let a single weed go to seeil. If the riglit kind of seed and plenty of manure are nsed, and the ground cultivated as it ought to be, we may expect from live to eight hundred bushrls to iho acre. If the ground is free from weed.s as it should be, when the crop is gathered in, so much the better for the' next year's crop. When most of the onions get ripe, I lot them dry one or two days, and wlie'i dry rake ihcm iu windrows, and when little damp, either at night or morning, pile them up in small heaps, and let them slaud till they have no moisture iu the top. Wheu it comes a drying day, spread tin in out, and wheu perfectly dry, eart them iu. They can bo kept from two to six feet thick if they are well cured, and put where tht air can circulate around tlieni, till very cold weather, and then they must be kept from being I'rozen too much. It seomed to me the hardest work that I had over done, to weed ths lirst piece I planted, and it cost more to cultiv.ito my first two rods of giound, tLan it has m aero since, owing to the ground being full of foul seea. Onions are the most protltable crop that a farmer can rai.se, and the quantity has been increased from three hundred to nine hundred bushels per acre, and I think one thousand bushels or more can be grown by proper cultivation. Red onions are now wholesaling at three 'lollars per barrel, and white ones at four dol lars per barrel. One year I sold my onions at one dol- lar a bushel, and sent them to market in the fall be- fore housing. I liavo sold red onions as high as fiva dollars a barrel, tuid white ones at six dollars. There 1ms been no time within twelve years, but that onion.i would bring two dollars a barrel in the course of the year. There is one thing that farmers have to com- plain of, and that is, it co.'^ts us so much before the onions get into the consumers' hands. It costs us about twenty cents a barrel to send them to New- York, and thcj' are sold to wholesale dealers, who make from twenty-live to lifty cents a bar,'el, and so it costs us from sixty cents to one dollar per barrel before the.* get into the consumers' hauds. '. ^\/\yN.' v"v. " No. illl. BY LOUIS STRADER, GREEN CO., KY. Potato Onions are the only variety much cultivat- ed in tho Green river country. They are a, very pro- litie, mild, and well-flavored vegetable. The sots grow from tho roots, numbering from tour to lifieeu from each onion, and are much larger than the sets from the red onions; they are not quite so hardy, however. Select the largest m.1. best-shaped sets to raise from. They attain their lull size the tirst year after planting. To raise tho sets, select large, sound, and well-formed ouions, Planuso, Cultivation, Etc. — I much prefer plant- ing in tho tiill ; they come riuich earlier, th.) yield is larger, and they are safer in tho ground alter planting than elsewhere through the winter. Plant about tho unddle of October tor this latitude, earlier further uorti), and later at; you go so\ith. Select u hitu.ition gently sloping to tho south, a rich, dry, loamy soil, ni^-hiy manured with well-rotted stable-inanuro. I'luugh or spade up tho land some nine inches deep, when tho (ground is iu gnod working condition. Avoid working tho land when too wet, as il causia it to bake, wliieh la a great drawback to tho growth of uuioiis. Pulver- ize tho soil thoroughly with a hand-rake, by drawing it back and tbrth until all the clods are broken line_ Cut two sticks 18 inches long, and lie one to each end of a liuo, which should be as long as tho piece of ground intended for plariti.ug, and wi'li it mark oil' the ground in rows 18 inches asunder, using the stirks at each end of tho lino as a measure, sticking them down to hold tho line well .stretched. .Scrape out the drill.s by the side of tlie rope deep enough to hold thcmions, so that tho top may be even with the surfacn of tho ground. Then place the large ouicins in the dnlls nine inches from each other, and the sets six inches from centre to etvn ire, and liU up the drill with veil-rotted stable-nmnure. Xoxt, draw up the lino earth so as to make the drill in a ridge, in order to protect the onions from too nuich freezing. This ridgo should bo scraped off in the spring, when they begin to grow If the fall should bo favorable, thoy will soon come up ; they should be covered up before hard weather sets in, with corn-stalk.^, liny, or soinethii'g of the sort, to protect them during winrer. They should bo uncovered iu the spi-ing after the ground ceases to I'roezo. After this, they should be well worked with a lioo once a weeli, until they are fully grown, taking euro not to di-turh the roola too much. About this tiitio tho earth should be sernpod lioiu thoui, to uncover tho lop of tho onions, that they may be expu,-:e I to the sun, which will ripen them. The eaith shoulii not be scraped from thoiu until some of tho tops begin to fall over on tho ground. Lei them remain in lliis condition until tho lojis are dea.l and nearly dry. They should then bo pulled up, and I "% KXPKBtKNCE OF PRACTICAL QEOWBES. 28 :ioiin(l, tLan it ban an umg full of foul seea. ; crop tliat a, farmei beoii iiicrensed frora isheli per acre, atid I re can bo grown by are now wliulcsaling 'lito ones at four ilol ny onions at one dol- arkct in tlie fall bo- ions ns high lis fivQ t six dollars. Tlioro oars, but that onions in tlio coursu of the irniers liavo to coin- so much before tho liands. It costs us i them to Now- York, dealers, who make iir,'el, and so it cosis )cr barrel before the using the stirks at sticking Ihoindowu crape out the drills fh to hold thcmions, 1 tho surfacn of tho iins in ilio drills nine ets six inches from hill with vell-rotled lino eurdi so aa to to i)rotect tho oniouH .ting the matter since. After vour dress- ing is properly worked in, and ground well raked over you are ready for planting, which is done in va.ious ways, according to the fancy or necessity of those who cultivate this crop. If you are purposing to bunch, you want more seed in the hills than if intended for barreling or selling by the bjshel. The sa.ne is the case if you wish to obtain large-sized tubers, without 80 much ngard for quantity. For a number of year, (thirteen I believe,) I planted a piece coniainii,g one hundred and sixt.v-six rods, 11x11 inches each way calculating f,r six or eight seeds in a place, with satis- factory results as to crop Unless the soil is very easily worked, and comparatively clear from weedn, I would not, for lield-culture, recommend any thicker planting, as the fingers have to do the work of a hoe, which is fatiguing, and also requires much time. I have planted 11x5 J \uchvs on cU«n land, but somehow did not find my interest in doing it, as more seed and more time was required in after cultivation, and not a satisfactory increase of crop. I l.iive drilled with seed-drillH in continuous rows ten iticlie.^ asunder, plants within an inoli or two. Time is sived in plant- ing, but I like the old method of putting down with the fingers, unless you have a very favorable piece for drilling in. I have dropped three flfths of an acre in a day, and have known those accustomed to it to drop an acre. E.\:perlmonts will soon decide which method is best. If your soil is weedy, I would recommend covering .seed with sand, unless the soil is already too sandy. A table spoonful of white sand marks the hill, and you can work the earth sooner than if not sanded, and again, the seed will germinate quicker, getting start of the weeds. Quito a number of varieties of the onion present themselves from which to make a selection, only a few of which I can speak of from experience. For field culture for distant markets, the R. I. red or Weathefslleld onion is con- Bidered decidedly the best, as it yields as well as any, and keeps decidedly the best, which is one groat iteni Of value, as all will testify who have dealt in the article. The Dativera onion, n yellow variety, is quite popular among growers in the vicinity of Boston, and they clnirn f.rit superior flavor a.s well as good keep- it.tfqualiiirs; yet I could never have them as sound in soring as the red onion. The white or .silver-skin onion is a favorite with markctineti nnd consumerfl, fVom their being nieo-looking, and of superior flavor— r.ot HO strong as the red. A serious objeetion to these U their liability to decay mid the necessity, of course, for a ready market and quick consuraptioa f ho tbre< .varieties I have named are all sufficient for you to select from, according as your market may require. As soon as your onions show tliemselves above t^e surface, commence hoeing and weeding, as the wecdf will surely give you great trouble if vou do not Don't allow a weed in the hill if you wish for success The frequency of going over your fields will depend upon the rains and foulness of your soil-vou may fix 't in your mind that you can not stir the .soil too often Leisure moments can be profitably spout on an onion- bed. The time of gathering the crop is important, and re- quires good judgment as well as experience. Portions of the lulls as well as portions of the field will ripen earlier than others. T the first ripe are suffered to remain until the others that are not ripe are dead, the first will have sent out new roots, which disfigure them much, and the interior of the onion will com- mence growing again, and send up sprouts if time enough IS allowed; if not, these are the first to sprout and rot, when gathered in. T keep a good watch of my crop, and a.s soon as the first indieations of a second- growth are manifest, I pull all up and lay in rows for curing and topping. They should remain on the ground until the tops are all dead, (except the bull- neek.s,) before topping, as they are much more liable to sprout and rot, if cut while the tops have sap in them It IS found economical in pulling to lay three rows or drills together upon the middle row, roo»,s up from the ground as much as possible, with the alternate rows reversed thus: P P P p P P p p so that when you commence topping, you take the ciiiori in your left hand, which will bring the top in place for the knife or sheep-shear.s, (which are often used,) and the onion dropped in the space between the two rows, thus bringing six rows or drills into ono. It any weeds are on the ground previous to topping, hoe them up in spaces where your onions are to lay, rake all oil' clean, for you may have to stir up yonr onions several times previous to getting in which can be quickly done with a rake, if no weeds are lu the way. Cut the tops about three inches long 1-r bunching, and one inch for barroling. Cutting any shorter than this, increa.ses the cliaiux's of decay Many shippers prefer having tops two inches long and all the refuse leaves al.so, if perfectly dry, as on board of vessel nnd in confined places they sweat freely, and the tops and dry leaves ab.sorb a largo Quantity of moisture, and thus in a moasiiro prevent heaiint; uud decay. It you have not u ready sale for your crop nnd find you must store them for a time, dou't pui them in the cellar, but into some dry room above ground, that will allow you to spread iliem, not ovei two ttud a half feet deep, and as much Wkb as you oau i EXPEBIENCE OF PRACTICAL GROWERS. 25 mptioa fho thre« ficieiit for you to t maj require, nselves above the Jing, as ihe weed? le if you do not 1 wJHh for success lelda will depeud soil — you may flx the soil too often, pout on an onion- mportant, and re- irience. Portions je field will ripen e are suffered to ■ipe ore dead, the which disfigure onion will com- sprouts if time he first to sprout a good watch of itions of a second- i lay in rows for remain on the except the bull- ch more liable to lavo sap in them. I lay three rows w, roo's up from e alternate rows 6 P r, you take the ring the top in ■vhich are often spoco between H or drills into id previous to your onions are liavo to stir up to getting in, to, if no weeds "CO inches long sling. Cutting ni^uH of decay, ichcs long, and aa on board of Wit freely, and - - ^^^^ ^ ,^„^„ y,„,,, jelling UxU etc. They remained until some time in Apr. when I planted t p ^^^^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^ took them to market as sound as w len put in, no -«he^ a^' ^3 bushels, and no season losing more than a bushel. Never allow Uiem to ^^^^^•J^\2e^., except the one I have named aa stirred until you are sure tl,e frost is out, for it w ^^^^ _^^_^^^^_ ^^^ ^,^^ ^^^p surely ruin them. Neither uncover in the least, until ^J^ ^^^^ ™;^^,_ ^he .eason I obtained the 723 bushels, a friend of mine had over HOO bushels from two acres, which he planted in drills 11x5^ inches. These crops were unusually larKC. I also kept ,in ac- count of expenses on crop up to time of s-ale. In this account I charged the crops with every item of ex- pense, interest on land, dres-sing, labor, tools, etc, etc., and found that 1 could raise onions for about 17 cents per bushel. Some seasons they cost me more, others less, according to yield of crop, or extra amount of they are entirely free from frost. I may as well suggest here the propriety of every ,nion-grower raising his own seed-as good seed is All important to nuccess, and you can not be bure ot ..ettiug it from heed men. In selecting onions for seeu. take medium-sized, round, or deep ones, and by per- sisting in this practice, you will find that your ou.ous will more and more partake of this character, weigh more and keep better than the flat or oval-shaped. Onions are required by law to weigh tif.y-six pounds Onions are required by law to weigh tit.y-six poauu» , " ^^^^„„^_ They never cost to the bushel, and flat saacer-shaped onea will not '^Jl^^^Ziy, uor unA.r thirteen cents per bushel. As to price obtained, I am not fo well able to state, as r often sold in different places, and at different ■«me up to the standard If you wisli to have early onions for marketing, sow in September, cover the bed, when the frost first ha.d- ens the ground, with sea-weed, or any other non-con- ductor, to prevent thawing in winter, uncover in spring, as soon as you find the frost out, and you have onions with two months the start of those put m, in the spring. There is a variety (tailed Potato Onion, that is early times, and account of sales going in with otker arti- cles. I never sold a crop, however, under thirty-one cents, and have often sold for a dollar per bushel. The papers report at this time onions in New-York at two dollars and a half per burrel.-From the above statement, the conclusion is reached, that 1 have found , a variety called Potato Onion, tm^t is ..u, -— - ,^^ ,,, ,,,, ,„y ou. No. XV. BY SAMUEL BOUTON, FAIRFIELD CO., CT. VAEiBiiE9.-Onions wfL. grow on ulmon^ any soil that is not too dry. The kind ..f onions wh.cli can be rnscdwith the most advantage will depend ou the time when it is designed to market the crop It in- tended for winter, the variety kuowu as the black onion will be found the best, aa they are very solid and linn, and tl.'ir keeping qualities can cot bo sur- passed If lor a fall market, tliat variety known as the Weth.Tsfi. Id lied is better, as the yield will bo some- what greater, and they will be ripe a few days earlier. a- for an earlv market, pntnto onions should be rai, •-■d. The ndvantagi'S of the potato onion over the other .ind, are, first, an early market and the use of the L-round for some other eroi-, after they are olT; and gocoml, a hiul, pricr. and one third less labor in their juliivatiim. Tlie dl^idvanla-os are, fir.st, a great out- lay is required for seed; and second, it is difRcult ta keep the sec^d during the winter. I ^vould not recora- mend them for field cultivation, unless on a small scale. As the mode of cultivation for these difierent kinds is essentially the same, one description will answer lor the whole. Skeu.— The seed should be procured of some ,.,.liabh' seed-grower, if po.ssible out of the immediate neiiihburliood, a.s seed brought from a distance will do better than that which is grown ou tne ground, where the crop is to bo raised. If this can not be done, tlie srod may bo raised ou .1.0 spot. Sounil, firm roots should bo selected for seed. They should be put ni the ground as soon as tin, frost is out. They slwild bo set in rows, twelve inches ni-art ouo way, by about ,K ihM otiier. Ligltt poles or iwiue mai be rur m HOW TO HAT8E ONIONS. through the rows to support (ho stalks, otherwise they wi bo Imblo to bo l)I<»vn d.wn by high winds, which will injure tho sooted fmm the husk- by rubbing botweon a good pair nf loathor mitton.s, or li the quantity is largo, it may bo thn'shed by the flail The dust may now bo separated by the fan. Tho seed Oliould then bo put into water suffieiout to cover it when the Ijlastci, if any, will swim. Those should be .hrown away;, tho remainder may bo carefully dried and put up for use. Care should bo taken in selecting seed, to procure a good article, as this is the rook on which the hopes of the cultivator are iroquently slnpwreeked. If the eoed be shrunk, scallions may bo the only product. Old seed IS not so likely ,o grow as new, but if it must be planted, it should be soaked a few hours in water, ll.oy should bo planted as soon as the ground .s sufficiently dry. The middle or latter part of April « in this latitude about the time. A late crop is more dependent ou tho weather than an early one. If the planting is delayed till tho middle of Mav, aerooof scalhona may be the only product. Manuuk. -The best man.u'e for onions, is nigrht-.oii. Twenty loads, of twenty-five bu.shels eacii, will d« for an acre of grouu.l. If this can not bo had, ..om'-ihuM. iroin tlio hog-pen, at tho rate of thirtv loads to the acre, will bo found an exeellont manure. If the ground is i,oav7 and clayey, a compost mav bo made of oaforinentcd horse-manure and muek. It ,„,v be put touother in about equal quantities, and should bo placed inaltornato layer.s, lir.st u layer of manure three or four .nches thick, spread on the ground, then a coat of muck, about the samo thickness and proccd lU this way, till the whole is liuishod. The heat aris- .ng from the nuumro will r:,pidly decompose tho muck, Inlothemu.k will retain the ammonia arising from tho mauuie, and tlius both will bo improvc^l In about SIX- wc.ks it will be (it ,i,r use. Thhtv loads to tho acre will be a good dressing. If the ground is san.ly ami Vavelly, a compo.^t should bo made of muek and unloaehed wood-n.^l.e. at the rate of about half a bushel of „she. fbr twentv' five bushels of muek; it should bo placed in alternaie aycrs In two or ihree months it will be (it for us<. If it should bo shoveled over once or twice, it will bo "..proved : fbiiy loads will b,. sudici.nt for an a-re If none of these can be had, lino well-rotted barnru-d ..uinnro shoul.l 1„. applied at (ho rate of not less than ' thirtr loads to tho acre. Tho manure should be spread evenly over the ground, and ploughed immediately in 8.x or eight inches d.vp. Tho subsoil [,,lo„d, ,,,„u,,.j bo run in every furrow, si.vt.en or ei^^hleen inohos deep. The ground sh.aild now bo ploughed wifh a Burfaoo.plough, ten or twelve ineheg de,.p If uv^ hundred p..,nds of Ihe best Peruvian guano bo now ■owed ou ,ind harrowed in, It will give the plants a fine start. The ground should bo raked with a gardto. rako, and made as level as possible. PLANTi.N-a ANTj CcLTiVATio.v.-Tlie w-1 may now bo planted ; four pounds of seed will bo sufficient for an acre. The rows should be twelve inches apart The drill should be so constructed as to plant tho seed in hills, four inches apart in tho rows, and three or four seeds in a place. This «iil be found more conve- nient for hoeing than a continuous drill, and tho yield will be a.s good. The seed should be covered about naif an h,ch deep, either oy tho drill, or by passing the hoe lightly over tho row.s. As soon as the plants can be seen, tbev should be hoed Th)s may be done if the ground is free from weeds, by drawing a small hand-cultivator between them ; or, ,f the ground is weedy, tho hoe must be used. Ihe ground should next be stirred around tho roota of tho platits. A small hoo, with four prongs on one side, and a tiarrow edge on tho other will bo found very convenient. These are made of malleable iron and are sold at six cents each. If the ground is free trom weod.s, four hooings may bo sufficient. If the crop appear sluggish in the early stages of its growtl. a liquid manure may be prepared by dissolving one h.indrod pounds of Peruvian Gu.ano in water, and l^nnnk-hng it on with a watering-pot. This will be sutEoient for au aero of ground. At tho second hoeing, carrots mav be drilled between tli« row,s, if desired. Drilled in at this time, they will b« no injury to the onion crop, ,,nd I have frequently knojvn the carrots to pay all the expense of eultivatin. both crop.. If this is not done, it is well to sow the ground w.:hcv-mmon turnips before tho la.st hoeinir a« a good crop mny be raised in this way wifh no othe; fonble than .sowl-ig tho seod and harvesting tho crop. Harvkstivo AN-n Sfouivc.-Tlu. onions, when ripo ma.v 1,0 t,irne.l out of th,. ground by pa.«si„j, a boo un,e..„, ,,. If intended lor winter, they should be K.(t on the grou.id till perfectly ,iry. If the weather IH dry, three or lour days will .answer. The hu.^ks will U.en peel o„; atul they will assume a bright-rod color, ulKh ,nak,^s them tnore s.dabl... Thev should be gathered aud stored without trimming If anv .till remain with green (ops. tluy ou,ht to be tlnown out as tlioy may heat. A cool dry cellar will bo ibund tho host pl,,ce fbr I '""'^"'"*' "'"«»— the cellar of son,e out-buildin. as a -■'■■n or cnrri,M.e.houso. The cellar of a dwllh,,.. H.uso ,s generally too warm. A m), five.ing will rto.hemnonarm. A bin .should bo mado in some dry -wncr with a floorrai^ed a (Inv inehos from theground are should be U.ken to .o.p,h.nipe,fec,lv'lrv.™ ftoywdlbov.r.,ik.lytorot. .'nro should' likJw^o bo taken n, cnrtmg and nlaeiog iu ,|„. eoUnr, that tho onions are not l)ruiso,l, or thev will .soon de.a. Ground treated as above des.Tibed, may bo plant, d uithoiUoni every year in sueeession, and ."tin. trealn,,.,,! Is porao vered in, the crop will improve (b, hcv, ,■.,, ve,^^ BXPKBIKNCB OF PRACTICAL GR0WBE8. £1 raked with a gardto- 3. riie B«'->1 may now vill bo 8u£Qcient foi volvo inches apart IS to plant tho seed rows, and tliree or found more conv(>- drill, and tho yield bo covered about drill, or by passing ■en, thc.v should be ■ound is free from ;ultivator between > hoe must bo used. nrouiid the roots our prongs on one KT. will be found of ni.illcable iron, ho frrouiid is free sufficient. If the res of its growth, by dissolving one 10 in water, and 't. This will bo drilled between is time, they will lla^•e frequently use of cultivntinf,' well to sow tho the last hoeing, 'ay wifhiuxithcr k'esting the crop, lions, when ripe, • passing a hoe tcr, tluy should 1 If the weiither The husks will l)riglit-red color, hey should bo r If any still be throu-n out, bi^st pl.icc for t' building, as a )f Ji dwi lliiig. c lieezing will lie in some dry I I'll I he ground, rfeclly dry, oi lould likewrso cellar, Ihut tho Ic-ay Oround I'd uithonioni iiient tsponw- U vo.lJs. No. 'K.VL BY THOMAS FULTON, WAYNE CO., PA. QCAUTIE9 OF LAND.-To raise a ,ood crop of onions, the land is required to be, 1«^- '^'^ ^>-\;'. f^f^ brought in from rich sod, and then there -" !^« b" few weeds to coutend with iu the culture; 2u. luch onihe top:rMe land can not be made loo ^fj°\<'"^ but the richness .should be on tho top of the land, as the onion roots will not descend into the ground more than an incl, or an inch and a half at furthest ; and M The land should be ivek settled, as, if the land be rich and soft, the onions will grow to tops, or what are called (in Kurope) " scalUons," but if the land has b en well settled, they will grow to roots, or what is called onions. , . ^, „u.„n PBEPAHAT.o.s OF Giiouxu.-To obtain tne above results, the land should be prepared the previous year. In Kurope, especially in the north r-; Ireland, where onions are extensively rai.,ed as a paying crop for n^arket, the land (generally rich sod) is ploughed early in spring, neatly and light, into narrow ridges, say ive feet ndge and furrow, and about the middle of May the land is harrowed, and the manure (good barnyard) put on; the ridges are lined out four Ibet wide, and the laanure spread evenly and broken liue. It is then planted with potatoes. The .seed is dropped m rows across the ridge, about eigi-i inches apart in the row, and the rows about a font from each other. The pota- toes are then covered about an inch deep out ot the la, row, the mould spread evenly and broken fine. They remain so until the potato platUs begu. to appear, or when the ^'buds" are bur.sting the top of the land T',en the furrows are dug with a spade, and the mou d broken line iu then; ihe mould is shoveled .Hit of the furrow, and spread evenly over the ridge about two n>chesdeep,aaer which they require no more labo (except w,.eding, which should not be neglected, the seeds of the weeds remain and give trouble in the ensuing crop) until the fall, when the potatoes are Id ,or digging up. This is done with a M'^de^: to ndge is all dug over evenly, the potatoes picked up, care hein, taken to keep the rich mould on the top of t,ie ridge The land remains :. this way untd sowmg-t.me . • Ti.,. hmd is well raked with an Ihe ensuing sprmi^. The land is wui ^, 1 ,.,a-n This will make siUftciont mould, ihc roil Barden-rake. iins wm ui,m onion seed is then sown, and covered by raking 11 it is then clapped over with the back of a sp.de or by I,,„gaha;,d.n,lleroverit;thisiscaUedsowmgo^^ o ^'L-,...>,V and I havo never seen tins fad to produce a good crop of onions. I have seen acres pre- pured and raised in this way. 'The objection to tho above mode of preparing the Und i>. t' s country is, that it requires a «ood deal ot manual labor, which is scarce and expensife here Where this is the case — Second Method -I would say, plough rich sod, so-w it in buckwheat, and when the buckwheat is cut and taken oft', plough the land neatly and light into narrow ridcres, Ave feet ridge and furr.w ; let it remam for some time to settle and rot any woed^ then harrow well and put on the manure. Mark or line out the ridges four feet wide, leaving one foot for a furrow ; spread the manure evenly, and break it fine. Trench up the furrows and cover the manure evenly, let t le land remain until sowing time in spring, and prepare and put in the onion seed on the "winter face as above. 1 have not tried this, hut I believe it will be found to produce a good crop. Thiud Me™od.-To prepare the land tho fall pre- vious to sowmj the mion seed, for small qu.nmies. Dig the patch (intended for onioas) with a spade a foot deep, turn tho top down, cover all grass or weeds and break it fine. Then mark out the ridges t-ur feet wide, leaving a foot for a furrow between tlie ndges. Then take a hoe, and draw the mould evenly about an inch and a half deep from half-way across the ndges on either side, to the place marked out for the furrow ; spread the manure on the ridge (thus hollowed) evenly, and break it fine; shovel the mould collected on the 'furrow and cover the manure, leave it so until sowing- time the ensuing spring ; then rake it well, and sow the onion seed, cover with the rake, and clap it over with the back of a spade. Fourth Method.— I'o prepare the land at the time of solving the omon seed: dig it a foot deep, mark out the ridges as in third method, and spread o., the manure, which .should be well-rotted cow-dung. Horse-dung m „ot .n)od-it has a tendency to get dry and mouldy. Breidi the manure very tine, and cover it out of the furrow an inch and a half deep; pass tho rake o^•or it, audsow the seed; cover with the rake, and clap . I well all over with a spade, to settle and close the land. 1 Ivivo raised good crops of ouions in both these ways, and the largest ouions I ever raise-d, or saw raised, w..re in this last way ; but the manure was taken out of the privy, and mixed with an cpial quantity of house-ashes. In selecting the seed, go to a respectable H'--l-«tore . .elect that which has the least small or bhud seeda i„ it If it is new seed, it is softer, and tastes stnmget of the onion than if it i. old seed, mile gU^J^ .Mteflat, mixed w,th a little red, say one Haul red, will '^'TniK'oF sow.no iiiK SEED.-I:i thi« oountry w# 28 HOW TO BAI8B ONIONS, can not fix » certain time. Tn some places and some seasons the land may be ready to receive the seed earlier than at others ; but when the frost is fully out, and tiie land dry enough for sowing, and ve,,'etation has set in, then I would sow the seed; about a seed to the square inch is sufficient. Webdino riiE Onions.— When they come up, if weeds apptar, pick them out as soon as possible. You can witli more safety to the crop pull out the weeds wlien sraill, ihaa if they are allowed to grow large: tlien, they are liable to injure the roots of the onions in pulling ihera, and if alio wed to grow large, they exhaust the land, the whole strength of which should go to raise tlie onions. Manaqemknt op the CKOP.—When the ouions have got up to be pretty large in the tops, (in Europe,) tliose of ihem which do not show a disposition to make a li£ad, but grow up with a luxuriant top, (these they oall "scdllious,") are pulled out, and taken to market; this gives room and air to those tliat are forming tlie onion at the roou When they begin to ripen, which they will show by the tops beginning to wither, then with the hand twist the stems of those which still show a di-sposition to grow to tops and not make root, about half-way up between the root and whure the tops branch olf; this will prevent the sap from going to the top, Hud cause them to grow at the root. When they get ripe and (it for pulling, whicli will be shown by the tops witliuring oil, pull those tiiat are thus withered off; and dry them on cloths until they are thoroughly dried. Those v/hose tops are iu)i ftilly withered, leave remaining sometime longer, an: twist tlie tops a Utile more severely ; and when you think tliej will make no further improvement by remaining, puli the: all up, and string them like apples, passing tho needle through tho stems an inch or two above tho head, and hang them up to dry either in the sunshine by day, bringing them in by night, or near to the Are or stove, until they are fully dried. Tlien take the strings, and those whose tops are not fully withered ofl', and with a penknife open the dry peels a little off above the head, and witli the blade offho penknife scoop tlie stems out of the heart of the onion, and elos.- up the withered peels on the top. This is called "gelding the onion" This prevents them from spouting when they are kept over, as such onions have a tendency to sprout if not used soon. Tlieu tho onions are ready for marketing. This is done according to the wislics of tho cultivator. Some pick them, and sell tho best at tho highest price, and the others at what tlioy will bring, and .gome take them all together, and soil at an average price for the whole. Notes.— Six pounds of good seed will be sufficient for an acre. There are in an acre five hundred and twenty perchei of a five foot wide ridge and furrow, which will, if well managed, produce over a bushel to the perch or rod. Twenty wagon loads of good manure will manuM an acre well. I No. XVII. BY STILLMAN MORGAN, ADDISON CO., VT. If a man has only a small piece of ground that ho can call his own, perhaps there is no crop more profit- able than the onion crop. The writer Ims raised this vegetable each year for thirty years. His success is owing to experiments tried and varied until the best is found. The Gauiien-eu.— You wish only to cultivate from one bushel to five. Find tho "potato onion." But if you can not Hud that kind, get the " top onion, " which is nearest to it. The reason I recommend those varieties to the giirdenor is, th.it tho crop is sure, and always grows cl.'in- of maggots. If j-ou have plenty Ct them, take great and small, sind use thorn all for seed. Foil TUB FiELij. — Use the common black seed of the white globe, or thn " Wf>ihersfiold rod;" I pirfur the latter. The Wcthcrslield reds look best in the half-bushel, yield best, and sell best in m.irkot If you tako any other kind, look out for good yielder.s. i'!;f;i AK.\i;oN or Givound.— Select interval, niiido land, that seems to have been brought from all direc- tions; no matter if there is a good proportion of mujk. I!ut if it is clear muck, cart on gravel, a good mixture. If your ground be clay, cart on loam or any kind of light soil. But if your ground is light loam on sandy soil, cart on clay qtiite abundantly. But if your land is a naked rock, and nobody will let you into their Held for materi.ils to niako land of, tlien go into the highway ; find a " sag " or low place, that has received wa.sh from roads or buildings or any where else. Cart it to the place desired. And then you have an onion- bed for a hundred years— don't change places often. When the soil is to your mind, then cart on any kind of rich manure ; do this early, and have the ground ploughed early in September. Then there will be time for all foul .seeds to grow, but not 1: « ving time to mature, you will loose your weeds. Tlien in tho spring, as eariy as possible, plough again ; thut will leave the manure well mixed and near tho top. Now put on your harrow or muck-rake, and imlvrriw? as line as posHiljle. Strikeout you-- scrii'ir.-j BXPERIEXCE OF PRACTICAL GBO^^'E^S. 29 h, hsnd^omo form. Then if you h.vo -ough ground Z r,av ctct a professional scod-sower. He will come X'unlo nLluno. and sow ti.ooor fo«r row. at a am' as fast as he can walk. Gauge your .nachmo so TuXTo the onions, when grown.so near as to ouch Tach oth-. But have the rows so fai 'vp-yl-t - olon hoe will pass between. Do not be af^d of L>ping your ground, especially if the -^ - '^^^^ WE.-ma-A9 the roots of onions, many of them, ,1 near the surface, do not chop down deep ^.h Lr hoe to cut them olT; many a good J-ed o o-on has been spoiled by late weeding, by d.sturbmg the ^innn Uoo dccpW. I like to have my onions hoed m m n ' wWle the dow is on. If you are gomg to aL on ns indeed, don't be afraid of sodmg you knees. Do not cover up the onion too deep, nor leav e ■t so ;s t« fall this way and that, by takmg away too "^^?i^oi;:^"oK"Po..™."^henyour^v.d , , „«rf -.f fnrrowin"' instrument, it is a IS ready.'havo a sort ot lurrowiuo ' , ^ome-made thing. Make a thing just 1^ a rake w h uo teeth in it ; then put in as many tee h as you w«l to mark rows with, once going across the bed. Or ustTad of teeth, nail on rockers. Then push the rak r made )K.fore you. And when you return, place the rnLckeriu ti outside furrow, thus do untd your 'X:::l^^^°youronlonsorseedinabasketb^^ ,our lide go down on your knecB, and put m one a a II Lt bo sure you put it right end up, or the Xwrgr^vVeoJove^head. Cover the seed just °"!;;[;!!!;vUon you have done planting or sowing your OB^ns 'whatever kind they are, sow on salt common salt Sow as thick as pea. I would do tlus agam SLps in June, not so much the last time. Whethc S5 or garden onions, go outin the mornu.g wlule he dew is on, or after a showe, take dry un leached ash ani with a shingle throw them up into the a.r, a.id le thm i.' a cloud of dust on tlio onions. Repeat , r three tin.es while the onions are growuig tlfcolpits or from forges, with leached ashes coat^ on ud well mixed in tho«« u'. before ploughmg, wUl well pay. If your land is quite clayey, ler.ve out he r,h s I thi,^ the coal-dust and salt, be.sa^es ve^ ih quickening the growth of these vegetables, .e., °'.;ri::S:Suars, where they have sold ash and meat, and they will give you the salt and bnne. KuJ "he^ vou are about it, get all they can -V^l^- J'^ ;?you have any to spare, put it on your muck heap, fo. ''Tyri at aloss what kind of onions to cultivate inquire for the greatest yielders and the quickest to ''Then the onions you wish to keep for your own use^ trace them up and' hang them in a dry place unt. :Sserned,'theu hang them in the cellar-way for ^";;rhave any toseU, take a ^^^^^^^^^ then go and show them where you wish to sell Bu bv an means do not let them remam long on your h J If you keep them long in heaps they wdl rot Anl^en y'ou had letter have -y thmg e s. L them slide at the then present pnce. You can wel ..ord them ^^ ^f V;-,: ^ ^ t--^^^^^^^ oftonor cet a dollar. j< or youi »>■<.« ^ . „,r „„, tuld have from two dollars to two -d a ha^ p. bushel. The seed of the top-omons I have us a^^ sold for from four to five dollars per bushel. I have "nt out b::^els of this seed to distant States, though ^rr:;—!^- raised at titrate of seven bun 1 " 1 bulhels per acre. And one of nn- neighbe,^ S \lved my'directions, raised at the rate^f .g^^ Hundred per acre. But I have never se n any kind that yields so well as the Wethcrsfleld reds. " I rjish to get good onions in June, sot out any kind'of an old onion, and when the top begin, to form 'if o to seed, cut off the main stalk, and! wd "Lorn. But these bottoms will never winter, but rot. Bat them green, or supply the tnark.t f vou want good, new. fresh onions in May, go to ,bf i, aiuUearch in low places, ^^"^ there gath^ leeks. Or if you prefer it, raise cives, which »r» toe lowest species of the onioD. 80 HOW TO RAISE ONIONS. ONION GROWING IN THE SOUTHERN STATES. It is n common Impression that onions can not bu j the crop on tho miiikct at the earliest possible diitc. Bucc<'s»fully raised from seeds, or " black seeds," as [ Tne conditions of success wiih the Southern onion growers term it, much south of latitude 40°. In ! crop are the same as at the North. The soil must be localities south of tliis, it is asserted that a crop can light and loamy, as free as possible from weeds, and only be growu with certahity by the use of sets, .be highly manured. As at the North, the same hmd That a Southern climate is Lot unfavorable to the is continued in onions for an indelhiite number of onion, is shown by the line specimens sent from Spain years, making a change occa- ioiiaily in the kind of and PortuL^id to the Knglish markets, and of late ' manure applied. The cow pea, witli its abundance years to our own large cities. The onions grown in of succulent foliage, allows the Southern grower to Bermuda are so fine as to be reg.arded in our cities as supply the soil witli a large amount of vegetable a distinct variety, while New Mexico and Mexico : matter. As soon as the onions are olT, the soil is excel all the localities mentioned in the great size, , sown to cow peas. The pea vines, usually killed by combined with tenderness and mild flavor of their ' frost, are allowed to lie uniil the first {lart of Deccni- onions. The assertion that onions can not be grown ber, when they are turned under, burying them from seeds in the Southern States, is inc t by the fact deeply. Not or.ly do tlie pea vines enrieh the soil. that large quantities are animally sent from Georgia ■ but they form sueli a dense mat that weeds can get and other States to the Northern markets. Though a no foothold. The time for sowinii' onion seed near share of these are grown from sets, the larger por- • Sav.ainuih is about the llrst of Jamuuy, which gives Hon are from the seed. Dr. A. Oemler, near Savan- ; the pea vines an opportunity to decay before the seeds nab, Ga.. reports having raised the '• Giant Rocea " arc put in. By sowing at this time, the younff onions onion at (he rate of ten liundred and fifty bushels to escape the heavy rains, and the severe cold which the acre, a yield from the seed that would be re- sometimes occurs, to wliieh tliosc sown two months markably large in any locality. Probably the failures with onions from seed have been due more to late sowing than to any other cause. Early sowing is very i;eeessary at the North, and is still more so at the South. The roots of the 01' more earlier are exposed, while the time of growth, owing to more favorable weather, is made much shorter. The cultivation of the growing crop presents no features peculiar to tlie Southern States. There, as nnion do not descend into the soil very far, and the elsewliere, success depends ui)on thorough and crop is one of those most, disastrously affected by prompt weeding. The smaller the weeds'^ wh(>n drouth. In the vicinity of Norfolk, Va., and in hand weeding in the rows is done, the less tbe'ehance Maryland, the " Potato Onion " is g.-own almost ex- of injury to the onions bv dl.stnrbing their roots in clusively, and this variety can only be grown by pulling up a large weed, the root of which has taken planting the sets, or small bulbs. In Gerngia, the possession of the soil. " Red Wethersfleld " and the " Yellow Danvrs " arc The onions indicate that tbev have c-ased to •mm I.referred. Some of the recent varleth's from the , and are mature, bv the falling over of the tops 'csu- south of Kurcpe are productive, but are either too ally the whole crop is not marketed at once, but si.-- smallor too larg'. to suit our markets. Those who ce.ssive shipments are made. For this reason the raise onions for the Northern markets, lind that their field is gone over several times, at each time pullin-' product Iningsthe best prices when it comes in just those bulbs, the tops of which have fallen Thev as the supply from Bermuda ceases, and before that may be packed at once, or be left on the ground foV of Northeru growth is ready. Hence the time of a few davs, in order to drv off. The tops are cut off sowing IS regulated with a view to this, and it is not with a sharp knife, leaving an inch or so of neck desirable m this ease, as with other vegetables, to place '• and packed in crates holding a bushel each ONION SETS. An onion set is an onion raised from seed and which has ripened while very small. This result is ino- duecd by sowing the seed thickly. TIk; young bulbs start as usual, but as a dozen or more are struggling for the nutriment usually given to a single bulb, they fail to increase in size, and come to mafrity while yet very small. When these sets arc phinfcd out, they are under more favorable conditions, aiui at once increase in size, and complete the growth which was arrested in the fir=t season. Onion sets should be as small as possible, as a greater number are contained in a given measure; not only this, but the smaller they arc, the less risk' is there that they will run up to seed. They vary from half an hich in diameter down to the size of a pea. There arc several methods of growing sets, but all have the same 'Mid in view, the crowded condition of tlie bulbs. One |)lan is to stretch a line, and drill in six rows of seed at an inch and a half or two inches a!)art,. The drill is set to droj) live or six seeds to each inch of row. This will give thirty to thirty-six seeds to each lineal inch of the bed of six rows. At a sullieicnt distance from this to allow of the u.sc of the cultivator, usually thirty inches, another bed of six EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICAL GP.OWKRS. 81 rows Is sown, aiid so on. Tlifl land will thus be laid olT in narrow Iwids of sis crowded rows, each sepa- rated from the next by an alley, wLicli can be kept elean b> the use ul the cultivator. The beds them- selves iiiii.st l.c kept free from weeds by the us i of a. narrow v, i ediuj,' hoe, supplemented by hand-weedinj;. Anolher plan is to mark the land in drills, nine inches ap'irt, by tlie use of a marker. Eaeh seventh row is not sown, which leaves an ei.i,'hteeii-iueli path between every two l)eds of six' rows eaeh. The seetl is sown V'ry thickly in the drill.s, usin^ about thirty pounds to the acre. Unless the crop is kept elean while growing, it will be a total loss. A» with large onions, the ^eis show that they are ripe by the wither- ing of the tops. They are usually dug by running a trowel under them and throwing them ui'on a sieve, of the proper size to free them from the soil and re- tain the l)ulbs. It is very diff-ult to keep sets in good condition during the winter. Befon^ they are housed at all, they should be exposed to the sun and air for a few days, covering l lu-m at niglit. They must then be stored in an airy loft, in layers not over three or four inches thick. When freezing weather is at hand, the sets are brought togetluT in luajis, and covered with straw or with mats. Owing t(j tlie dillieulty in keep- ing the sets, it is better to i)lant them in the fall. Land for raising onions from sets is enriched and prepared in tlie same manner as for sowing the seed. I The rows are marked at tlie desired distances ajairt, usually ten inches, and th(^ sets are itlanted two or I three inches apart in the row. The sets are pressed ' into the fine, mellow soil by the use of the thumb and ' Hnger, always taking car" to place them with the root end down. Tho work is lluished by going over the ■ rows with a wjoden rake. RAISING ONION SEED. While onion seed, if properly kept, will often ger- minate nearly as well when two years old, it is not safe to depend upon seed that is over a year old. In cither case, the seed should be tested,— as all of that vvliich is only a year old will not germinate, and sometimes a very large share will be abortive. Fifty or a hundred seeds should be counted out, and either planted in a : pot orbox of soil, or placed in a folded cloth or paper, between two plates, where they can be kept moist and warm. The percentage of good seed iu a given lot being ascertained, the drill should be set to .sow a sufflcioirt number of seeds to make sure of a good stand. The freshness and vitality of the seed are of srrcat imi)ortanee, l)ut it is p(iualiy important that the seed ehoidd come from a gootl stock. Seed raised fiom onions planted out i>romiscnously, or even from the "culls" left after selecting all the l)est bulbs f(>r mar- ket, may look well and germinate freely, but the crop will be far fnjm satisfactory, and will be likely to have ' an undue share of " scallions." ¥>»■ this no test can ! be applied, and we can only rely ui>on the reputation ' of the grower of the seeds. While there are some gmwers of onicm seed who liave a reputation for the quality of their product, and endeavor to maintain it. there is nuieh seed in the market whicli one runs a great risk iu buying. Un- leular an onion is in shape, other tilings being equal, the greater the number of bushels that can be grown to the acre. If we liave a varielv that is desirable in every other re- spect except that the bulbs are too llat, we can in a. few years develop it into a gtoljula.- onion. Each suc- cessive year, the bulbs which show the slightest departure from the general llat form are selected for seed. Tills, at first, may be almost imperceptible; but tliere will be variations, iiowever iiisignilicaut, and these must be eiieouraged. By selecting each year tlie least flat bulbs, we soon iniiy be able to se- lect those the most round, and iiltiniately have those that are ([uite globular. An onion, to keep well, ri'ould have a very sliort neck, and at maturity the bull) should be firm and solid around ;iiid at the base of the neck. A well- known Conn, ieul seed-grower of the writer's ac- (luaiiitance worked for several years to r.-duce and improve the neck, and the results were most striking. In tho first place, the grower of onion seed should have in view his ideal onion; i. «.. fix in his mind the kind of onion lie would have. and. in selecting his bulbs for seed, choose only those which show the nearest apiwoaeh to that ideal. Onions set out for seed do not need a rieli soil, as too nuieh manure is said to diminish the fertility of the llowers, and cause many to blight. ! The bulbs selected for seed may he kept until ' spring, but it is much bet'.er to plant them out in the f.ill. They should be i>iit out some weeks before really cold weather sets in, in order that they may form roots and get well established before the ground freezes. Eariy in ()etol)er is a good time in the Northern States. By i>hmiin'r at this time the job is outoMheway; there is no diilieulty about keeiiing the seed onions through the winter, and there is no danger that some one may take ;. fancy to carry such onions to the kitchen. ' The onions for seed may be set out in rows fur ' enough apart to work with a horse-cultivator, or, if ' to l)e kept elean by hand, the rows may be twelve to 1 eighteen inehe-- apart. Open a furrow about six I inches deep, set in the miions six oreiglit inches apart in the furrow, audcover with the hoe. In spring, use the eultiv",tor or hoe as soon us the soil is dry enough, and l:eep down the weeds nnti'; 'be croj) is ripe. The duster of seeds is quite heavy, and as the stalks are 32 HOW TO RAISE ONIONS. from three to five feet high, according to the variety, they are a))t to he prostrated by a wind, and iiiaiiy of the seeds wasted. To prevent this, drive slaki's at eaeli end of tlio row, and every eiglit or ten feet of its length. Puss some cheap twine along each side of the row, making it fast to the stakes. Tlie twine should be within a few inches of the seed clusters. Tiie seed is known to be mature wlieu tlie caiisulos or pods lost' tlieiitrreen color and turn yellowish ; when some of the pods break open, the heads in whicli this occurs may be cut. If the croj) ripens unevenly, it may be nceessr.ry to go over it two or three limcs. and cut tliose that are ready. As some of the seed will shell out and be lust, it is well to receive the clusters in a ')ueket, or in a basket In which a cloth is laid. Ill cutting, leave six (jr eight inelies of the stalk at- tached to the head ; the partly-matured seeds will ripen up much better than It the stem were cut close. 8i)read the seed clusters upon a tight floor of an airy Inft. If the lloor is not tiirht, spread a burn gheet cr other cloth, to allow the scattered seeds to be saved. When the pods a'e quite dry, they are to be thrashed, and the seeds winnowed tjy ruimin;; them through a fanning-miil at least twice. After the mill will re- move nothing more, the seeds are placed, a few pounds at a time, in a bucket or till) of water, stirring for a short time ; allow the good seed to settle, and gently pour oil the water with the ehalT and imiierfect seeds which float upon the surface. The seeds are tlien to be spread thinl" on boards or on sieves, to dry, and only stored away when quite free from dampness. "RARE-RIPES'-TOP OR TREE ONIONS-POTATO ONIONS. Many arc fond of green or unripe onions, which are eaten raw, usually sliced in vinegar. The market- gardeners near cities commonly sell a large sliare, if not all of their crop in the partly grown, immature , state. When Imnched in this condition, the onions bring a larger i)riee than if they were allowed to ripen. Greeu oniims of this kind arc usu,'illy very j strong and often hard, Mucli milder and more sue- j culeut green onions are produced as follows : When an oniou is set out for seed, several leaves are pro- duced, and finally a Hower stalk pushes up among them. As tliis leaf-growth, which takes place at the expense of the old bulb, goes on, a new liulb is at the same time formed by tlie luwer parts of the leaves, and in the centre of the old bulb, and it is this new one which bears the flowers and seeds. Sometimes there are two or three of these small bulbs formed within an onion. If these young bulbs are pulled when the flower stalk first shows itself, or even before, they will be found vastly preferable to any other form of sreen onion. In New England, where they are often found in tlK> markets, these are known as " Rare-ripes " or " Rarc-rijie Onions ;" but in New York llie Sliallot, a difTerent species, is the first green onion in tlie market. Any onions th.at have sprouted, or tliose loo small to be salable are set out in very early sj)ring to produce rare-ripes. TiiK Top ou Tube Onion, I A number of i)lants are known in which there are varieties tliat bear a cluster of green leaves in the place of Uowers. In one of the wild garlics, a com- mon weed cif our fields, flowers arc rarely produced, ' but in their ]ilaee is a cluster of minute bnllis. In the top-onion the same thintr takes iilaee, and instead of flowers, the stem bearsadenso clusterof little onions, from the size of a boy's marble, downwards. When these small bulbs arc set out in the spring, they in- crease in size and form a large handsome oiiiDU. This onion, when planted out the next year, will produce a crop of small bulbs and so on. It possesses no ad- vantage over ordinary onions, and is cultivated mainly as a curiosity. TuE PoT.VTO Onion. Tills is a variety of the onion which has completely lost the liabit of producing flowers and seeds ; it does not even pusli up a flower stem. Under the erroneous impression that it was intro- duced into England from Egypt it is sometimes called the "Egyptian Onion;" in tliis (^ountiy it is often known as the "English Multijilier,'' and "Under- ground Onion " is sti'.l anotlier name for it. It is a medium-sized, yellowish-brown onion, with a ratlier stronger flavor than the eomn:oii kinds. If a large Potato Onion be planted in spriuLr. it will produce a cluster, sometimes as many as a dozen, of smaller bulbs, varying in size, from a filbert, upwards. These small onions, wlien planted next year, will each in- crease in size to form a large bulb. The generations thus alternate. One-year olTsets, or small bulbs, are produced, .and the next year these grow to the full size. Ordinarily it would take two years to grow an onion of this kind, but in practice, some of the bull)s in a clusterof small ones, are often laru'e enough for use, and when a small bull) is set out, it, besides growing to a large bulb, often produces several small ones also. So often floes this occur, that, in cultiva- tion on a small scale, it is not necessary to srow a lot of offsets especially for "seed." as enough are usually l>rodneed, attached to the larure bnllis. This onion is very hardy ami may remain in the grtiund all winter, it IS also early. In sume localities, especially near Norfolk', Va., this variety is used as tlie market crop, to the exclusion of those from seeds. EXrFJUENCE OF PRACTICAL (IROWEBS. ss RAISING ONIONS. BY A OONNECTlCt T SEEIV.„1 harn.w anai.,. ,„.taU. that oni... .1.. ..-tU.^ y^^^^,^^ Z^_ 1 ^ 1 \t\,.,, .„.„..„, .,.ou..., .In., with .aU... W,..,n r„::tr= :L;!;:r:::;.S- "u;..:;!"; ;;;^a •. . .. t..e^pH,. ..,. ... .... o. ot,.e. .. ynar for o..io..s, thai, i^ sivc. to an.v oth.-r in.p, that lit t;.-ou..il l)L'ttcr for llifin. ()nio..s will inKlnubtodly :>u(;i;cca belter ma.iy years oil the sam.^ U.oui.a than .uost other vcgctubles, Imt tiieie is a luiiil to tliis Mieeess. In Wethev.sth'Ul, tilizers harrowed i.i. Every fan.ier ami aa.-le.ier .should have a reel aud line, a..a a ...arluiii; .•allish a n:s=£=EE::SS:=s~ESsr:::: produet to .he a,.-.. The o.uo..s .-own there now ,n ; J, ",;'^',, I e b ouu^ht. is preferable. When ...ado of nany oftheoUlKa,-dens:.resn.a,.. .noy sta.l .p.iekly ^""^^'"^'^^^^i^'^^ ^ „„1,, frame with projecting anaurow vigorously the forepart of the season, but -;' ' , ^^ , Vi e s v ... holes through the eentres M.ddeuly meet with a el.eek when they should '^o on op "■"tt"m l»' [ j^„,^,,i , „„, of the sides cx- .i-owh." even if there be no signs of smut or blast, to u.bert a st.iWt. a.id ripen too early to attain their former size and produetiv..ness. Mueh lai-ei- erop^ ^.-e now grown )ii other towns. One g.-eat trouble iunong be-ii'.ners on new ground Is that the onions will .lot bottom and ripen at the usual time, but eontinue to grow all the season and p.-odue(^ too many " stiff ..eeks '" or scallions. 1 her.' are seve.-al causes for this. O.ie is, the land, wl.ieh is too poor to e.-mnienee eu.tivation upon, is .leavily ,nanu.T.l a.ul plowed deep, bringi.ig the poor subsoil to the surfaee. The seed in such soil eomes up weak, if at all, a.i.l the onions g.-ow very slow.y until they .ret hold of the deeoinp.)sed mani..-e, when it is too late in the seas.m lor them t.. maluro. I.ate sowing, ■t wet season, and foreign .)r bad s.'.d, a.-e other causes of .-eallions. If onions do not begin to botto.n before September rains, they never will. The .ini.in is n.)t so pavtieular about th.' elKivaeter of the oil '-iiial soil as many suppose, (iood er.)ps are otjtained on almost any soil, not too wet or l.u, dry, oxeept a stilV elay, light saiul, or hungry grav.:l. It is essential, l...w.'Ver. that the laii.l should have been made rieh bv the thor...igh \,.eorp"rati.»n of manures aud in elean tillage for at least two years from the Hod Corn, and then potatoes, carrots, or lu'cts. are good preparatory crops. One or two heavily manured tobaee,. crops admirably fit the ground for onions ; old KEEI' AND I, INI'. twenty to thirty loads t.. the acre lal.^ m the fall, say, L. .s not snow . . about' the n.Mille of N..vembe.-, and ph.w it m not verv dcei. .'v use one ton of fish sruant). spread o,', after pUr. in:r an.l hnvrow it in. If -mw lisb is put oniu the sprh.g, the onions w.ll eontui.n' U, grow other end of the in..-. Common th,-cc-stranded eonl, abo.it a Muarter .,f an inch Ibi.'k, is the most sn.tab e for the line. To cmstruet a Marking Rake, make the head three feet ten u.ei.es long by two iuehes square I ■■'A HOW TO kAlSK OMO.NS. Bore four throc-fnurtli-incli liolos fonrtc^on inthos :iliart, c'ommciicin); two iiiulics from tlio eiida ; one hole ill tUu centre ; iind lioles at tw(tlve, flftoeu. six- ti'tn hihI u luilf jiiiil ei:;htefii iiielie.-* eaeli side of it. .M;ilo tliey can be easily eliaiiyed and ud- jiiilud to the dilTerent widtli.s. The liandle of the murker shouhl lie six feel long, sidit, and sjjread so us lo form braeis wliere it is fastened to tlie head. Another form of marker is sliown below, in whieli the teeth are not movabh^ ; they are Hxed at the de- sired (li.staiiecs, on both sides of llie head. The land lieint? prei)ared for sowiii;;, stick down tlu- stake, run oil the line, and lay it where it is desired to eoninnriee. Adju>l the murUini; rake tu fourtet'n ini.'hes, draw the outside tootli carefully by tlie line, and follcjw back and forlh in the last mark nntil completc^d. AftiM- the ground is marked off, it should lie a little while for the surfa(U' to dry befon! eommoncing to .sr)W the seed. It cover** much better, and the soil will not stick to the wheel of the .seed-sower. The best onion-growers now do not use seed-.sowcrs with DIIII.L M.VKKEH. a roller attached. It packs the earth ao hard that it bakes after a heavy rahi and very nnich impedes the growth of the young (ilant, and it is not so easy in weeilicg to break the crust formeil when rolled down tlat as when the seed is covered by rakes or a light drag. It is of the utmost importance to get good seed— not only good, strong-growing seed, but seed that lia.s been raised from good-sized, well-ripened onions. Imported seed cannot be trusted. The Second Early Ucd (^nion is the best for a ireneral crop. Sow- four to six i)ounds to the acre — say about thn-c seeds to an inch or live seeds to two inches ; cover half an inch. As soon as the onions are U)) so they can be seen the length of the rows, run an onion-W(;cdcr nr liiind- eulLivator through them, with the rakes iidjiisted so as not lo throw the earth upon the young plants, and repeat often cnoui;h to prevent the growth of weeds. This will keep the ground perfectly clean betwi'en the rows. When they are Just out of " tln^ double," or ■wlicu the lii'Bl weeds begiu lo show, after cultivatiuy;, the ground should be raked ligiitly, diagonally acrcss tlie rows Willi a common wooden hay rake. This will I'reak the crust, dcslroy the weeds in the rows, and u'ive flu; young )ilaiit-: a :rood start. nearly in June, win n Ihi! onions are four or live iiiehes high, sow abnut three bushels lo the acre of ^ not very coarse salt broadcast over them. After th(! ^eeond weeding, spread on a good dressing of wood : ashes. They require three or four weedings in the row . , bill if (lains were tak<'u In marking to keep tlie rows straight and uniform, the onion-weeder will run ' so close to them that tliere will be but few weeds to i remove by hand. When the tops have fallen and nearly died down, draw four rows together with a woodiii rake, raking two rows at a lime toward the other two rows. Pull- forks are sometimes used, but in careless hands they ; |)ieree a gorxt many onions. They may remain as rnked togither several days, or until sufllcicntly cured to strip ; cut (lie lops about an inch from the onions, If they are stripjied while the taps are partly ureeu, they do not keep .-o well. After stripping, remove them to an outbuildinir on a dry day, with a north- west wind, and spread over the floor, not more than a foot thick ; turn them occasionally. To keep onions in quantity through tiie winter; just before they are likely to freeze, and when per- fectly dry, spread tliem eighteen inches thick on a I tiirht floor in a barn or outl>uilding which U under- ! pinned so as to keep tlu' cold air from freezing tluun ^ loo severely next the floor, i.eave a space of two feet next the w;dls of the building on all sides; spread a I sheet cntirily over ihein, till the space with thw. hay, I (rowen is the best) and tread it firmly ; then cover the I whole about two fec't thick with the same, and the onions will ordhiarily keep well. They should never be disturbed wliilc frozen, but as soon as the frost is compleiely out in the sprinir, take oil' the covering 1 and spread them all over the room, opening the doo'-s ' and windows to give air in iileasaiil weatluT. If they i are not well eovei'cd and the thermometer should fall [ to fifteen deg.\es lielow zero, some of thein may j freeze to death, and be soft when thawed. White onions are the worst to keej), on account of their gathering moisture go readily. They should be kept spread (luite thinly on the floor in the light and I where the air can circulate freely. Just before winter I sets in, spread a few inches of straw on a floor, and '■ place the onions on it four or five inches thick ; ' let them freeze a little, then cover them with straw and let tliem remain undisturbed until s))ring ; or put I them into peach crates and cover with hay in the 1 barn, or pile the crates next th( walla of a cool cellar. Onions are general!;- mie "f lue most profitable Crops, often yieliliiig feur liundred to six hundred, sometimes eight hundred, bushels to the acre, HOW TO RAISE ONIONS. 85 THE ONION FLY— Anthomyia Ceparnm. Fig. 1. Is travollini? through the countT of Essex, N. Y , a ^hort time since, particularly nlotip the heauliful pUnns in th« vicii.itv of the Au-^ahle Riv^r. I bad my atteti- tion lepeatedlv attracted to the witliered and fickly appearance of nearly all the fields of onions, through which I parsed. Upon inquiring the cau«e, I was in- variably told tnat it was the elTects of a worm, and th&t it was extremely doubtful if a single tuber in a healthful condition would be obtained iu a hundred plants This excited my curiosity, and on raising the bulbs from the earth, I had little difficulty in recogniz- ing the larva of a Dipterous (two-winged) insect, be- longing to a species which in England, as well as in many other parts of Europe, for the last twenty years, have almost entirely destroyed the onion crops, upon the cultivation of which bo considerable an amount of labor and experience have been expended. To such a degree have their ravages extended in those countries. ^^2B this niauner trace them through their v«nouB Rtagca of oxisteuc.-, up to the perfect fly. Until this is ec- complished, and not till then, will we with any degree of certainty be able to suggest any reasonable method for tffeotually removing them. If it be not dor.* speedily, a knowledge of the proliflc manner of their increa.se, makes it probable that ihey will, iu the course of but a few years, spread over the whole country, and idmost. if not entirely, obliterate this highly useful vegetable from our gardens. This insect depredator is, I think, undoubtedly tho Anthomyia ceparwn, of Meigen, or a species so -losely allied, us to difl'er but little from it in any of it» habits. It is shown at e, (ig. 1, somewhat magnifled, tho ao- tual length being indicated by the perpendicular, and the spread of the wings liy the horizontal line, below the cut of the fly ; c and d. same fig., show the pupa, from which the in.sect emerges, e being the natural size, and d magnified. It belongs to the second gen- eral division of the J/uAci(/«, that of the Ar.tJwmym 'ho insects and insuring good crops, and in adc :'ioti Vj .'•:-,• has furnished a capital top-dressing to tl 'ij." '\- on-beda prepared from the hearths upon , 1 c. coal has been burned, have likewise been meationcd as producing the perfect vegetable, entirely free .ij.ti the attacks of the liy. Should the cimrcoai method iiere mentioned, be uni- versnily adopted, wo have little doubt but that this insect depredator will in a short time become greatly reduced in number if not entirely destroyed, and afford a much better chance for a iLors healUif^ '..top of tiM onion plants hereafter. J. 9. 1 f )ii=3i^: ^ TOBACCO CULTURE. PRACTICAL DETAILS, r^7. FROM THE . .^ Selection niul lli'epa ration oftlie Seed and tlie Soil. — i-vv.- TO ;<•--- — Harvesting, Curing and Marketing the Crop, PLAIN DIUECTIONS AS GIVEN BY FOURTEEN EXPERIENCED CULTIVATORS, lii'kUuif in different parts of the United States, most of irhom luwe had lon,j praetire in the (jrotvinij of Tubaceo. ALSO, NOTES ON THE TOBACCO WORM. % ILLUSTRATED. (V- -.:-Ai::^-^.REVISED AND ENLARGED EDITION. O, ,IUDD CO.. D. W. JUDD. Pres't. ,.. 7SI BROADWAY. i' L _ __ . ^. ..; .;>; Knterei, accrdloj} to Act ut Cni,nr.-s, in the year im. bj tlio Oranhk Jruu Compa.nv, In thToS^ue r^ i i| in'''''\;\ C) ""■' •"*'^'''"''»" "' LijugnsB, at WuslilnKton. / % ^^ ^^^€:»5 [ fKstablislied in 1842,] A Good, Cheap, and very Valuable Paper foi Every Man, Woman, and Child, III City, Village, unci Coxiixtfy. American Agriculturist rOR TUB Farm, Garden, and Household, Including a Special Department of Interesting and Instruocive Reading for CHILDREN and YOUTH. The At is a larj^e penoilical of forty-four quarto pagoR, beautifully printed, filled with plain, practical, reliable, original matter, and containing Inin- drcds of beautiful and inatructive Engravings In every annual volume. It contains, each Tnon^h, a Calendar of OjHM-ations to be performed on the Farm, iu the Orchard and Garden, in and around tlie Dwelling, etc. Tlie thousands of hi. its and suggestions given in every volume are prepared by practical, intell 'onl working men, who know what they write about. The Household Department is valuable to every Hous»iko*')>ri, atfordinir very many useful hints am/ dirertimis, calculiitod to lighten and facilitate indoor work. The Department for Children and Youth is prei>ared with special care, to fur- nish not only amussmcut, but also to inculcate knowledge and sound moral principles. SUBSCUirTJO^sF TKUMS: ji* !.."»<> t\ ,v<»Jii*, postagL' iiicluiU'd ; single copies, 15 cents each. A GERMAN EDITION, C'lniaiiiiii.Lr iil! the pHucipiil ariidcs and fiigni\ ii..Li>^ "f iliu Kn;j:-!i>h eiliii'Hi, iin 1 nrii^ r ni:ifN r '>'' .-(MTinl niii.'resl tuderniiiii .\niurifan furnislied at; l!it> «ini( % the- puljUfhi ! <. _ ■ { fur ill'- iMiirlish VAxWmx, [wstitgc prejmid 0. .iUDl) COMIM^V, «51 Uroadwijy, New York. DAVIO W. JUDD, Pres't. SAM'l BuBNHaM, Sec. J