ONIONS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2266, 9 April 1886, Page 2

ONIONS.

Onions when erown under proper culture are an exceedingly profitable and fairly sure crop. On rich well-drained soil the best .varieties will yield very heavily. Onions succeed best in an open situation, and in rather a light, looiny soil, so long as it is rich, either naturally or made so by manure. The main crop is sown in August or in September in this country according to the latitude, but it) is a good plan to make an autumn sowing of White Spanish for transplanting in the Spring. The ground should bo well worked, and after rolling with a light roller, or otherwise made smooth and level, tho seed should be thinly sown. Then mark off the ground into four feet beds with one foot alleys between them, The soil takei. out of the alleys should be used to cover the seed from J to f of an inch in depth, then rake the beds over very lightly and again lightly roll. Where frosts prevail autumn-Bown onion seed will require to be covered more deeply than spring-sown seed, and where the soed is liable to be thrown out of the ground by frost oven one inch is not too deep to cover it, The young onions will require to be planted out in spring as early as possible, at sk inches apart, in rows one foot apart. This transplanting must be very carefully per formed to securo the best results, which cannot be expected if the roots aro much injured in the process. Of courso autumn sown onions may be loft to draw from tho seed bed without transplanting, but to produce unusually largo onions the transplanting plan will bo found very good if carefully done. It is useless to try and grow onions on poor soil, or in a slovenly manner, as we we have said the soil must bo rich and thoroughly and deeply pulverized, Manure very heavily with well rotten manure. The soil canuot bo made too rich. A few days neglect, when the weeds are growing rapidly, or a few week's dolay in snwm« after the ground is in a suitable condition in the spring, will often ruin the crop, There is no crop m which thorough culture will bring larger returns. A top dressing of wood ashes applied after the first ,veeding will be found to greatly improve the crop. I In America the large Red Wettersfield and Yellow Danvers, are the leading varieties grown for market. Of late years the large Italian Onions are rapidly becoming popular on account of their rapid growth and mild, tender flesh. The Giant Red Rocca, illustrated in a previous number of the Farmer, is one of the best of these, It grows to an immense size, producing a large onion tho first year from seed. But to attain the largest growth the smaller onions should be saved over winter and set out again in tho spring, when they will continue to grow instead of producing seed, James's Long Keeping is a capital variety. It is large and pear shaped,, with a brown skin, and is much esteemed on account of its excellent keeping qualities. The Red Wethersfield above mentioned is also a large onion, flat or oblafo in shape, of very even and regular form. It is described by a good English authority as of robust free growth and good riponmc qualities. Skin a light dull red coating, peeling, off; easily, inner light purplish. The flesh Is very white, firm and solid. It is mild in flavor and a good keeper and is considered altogether one of the finest of all the red onions. The Mow Danvers Is a very good variety. It is a good keeper, medium size, and is allied to the White Spanish.~New Zealand Farmer,