ONION

Allium Cepa





The onion has the good fortune to be generally appreciated and well

grown almost everywhere. It enhances the flavour and digestibility of

many important articles of food that would fail to nourish us without

its aid, while to others it adds a zest that contributes alike to

enjoyment and health. Although there are but few difficulties to be

encountered in the cultivation of the Onion, there is a marked

difference between a well-grown crop and one under poor management.

There is, moreover, what may be termed a fine art department in Onion

culture, one result being special exhibitions, in which handsome bulbs

of great weight are brought forward in competition for the amusement and

edification of the sight-seeing public. Thus, when the first principles

have been mastered, there may be, for the earnest cultivator of this

useful root, many more things to be learned, and that may be worth

learning, alike for their interest and utility.



Treatment of Soil.--The Onion can be grown on any kind of soil, but

poor land must be assisted by liberal manuring. A soil that will not

produce large Onions may produce small ones, and the smallest are

acceptable when no others are to be had. But for handsome bulbs and a

heavy crop a deep rich loam of a somewhat light texture is required,

although an adhesive loam, or even a clay, may be improved for the

purpose; while on a sandy soil excellent results may be obtained by good

management, especially in a wet season. In any case the soil must be

well prepared by deep digging, breaking the lumps, and laying up in

ridges to be disintegrated by the weather, and if needful its texture

should be amended, as far as possible, at the same time. A coat of clay

may be spread over a piece of sand, to be thoroughly incorporated with

it; on the other hand, where the staple is clay, the addition of sand

will be advantageous. All such corrective measures yield an adequate

return if prudently carried out, because it is possible to grow Onions

from year to year on the same ground; and thus in places where the soil

is decidedly unsuitable a plot may be specially prepared for Onions, and

if the first crop does not fully pay the cost, those that follow will do

so. But the plant is not fastidious, and it is easy work almost anywhere

to grow useful Onions. The first step in preparing land is to make it

loose and fine throughout, and as far as possible to do this some time

before the seed is sown. For sowing in spring, the beds should be

prepared in the rough before winter, and when the time comes for

levelling down and finishing, the top crust will be found well

pulverised, and in a kindly state to receive the seed. Stagnant moisture

is deadly to Onions, therefore swampy ground is most unfit; but a

sufficient degree of dryness for a summer crop may often be secured by

trenching, and leaving rather deep alleys between the beds to carry off

surface water during heavy rains.



Manures.--As almost any soil will suit the Onion, so also will almost

any kind of manure, provided that it be not rank or offensive. This

strongly flavoured plant likes good but sweet living, and it is sheer

folly to load the ground for it with coarse and stimulating manures. Yet

it is often done, and the result is a stiff-necked generation of bulbs

that refuse to ripen, or there may be complete failure of the crop

through disease or plethora. But any fertiliser that is at hand, whether

from the pigstye, or the sweepings of poultry yards or pigeon lofts, may

be turned to account by the simple process of first making it into a

compost with fresh soil, and then digging it in some time in advance of

the season for sowing, and in reasonable but not excessive quantity. All

such aids to plant growth as guano, charcoal, and well-rotted farmyard

manure, may be used advantageously for the Onion crop; but there are two

materials of especial value, and costing least of any, that are

universally employed by large growers, both to help the growth and

prevent maggot and canker. These are lime and soot, which are sown

together when the ground is finally prepared for the seed, and in

quantity only sufficient to colour the ground. They exercise a magical

influence, and those who make money by growing Onions take care to

employ them as a necessary part of their business routine.



Spring-sown Onions require to be put on rich, mellow ground, the top

spit of which is of a somewhat fine texture, and at the time of sowing

almost dry. Having been well dug and manured in good time, the top spit

only should be dug over when it is finally made ready for the seed. The

work must be done with care, and the beds should be marked off in

breadths of four feet, with one-foot alleys between. Break all lumps

with the spade, and work the surface to a regular and finely crumbled

texture. Light soil should be trodden over to consolidate it, and then

the surface may be carefully touched with the rake to prepare it for the

seed. March and April are the usual months for spring sowing, although

in mild districts seed is sometimes put in as early as January. Space

the rows from nine to twelve inches apart, according to the character of

the sort and the size of bulbs required. The drills must be drawn across

the bed, at right angles to the alleys, for when drawn the other way it

is difficult to keep the ground properly weeded. For a crop of Onions

intended for storing, the seed should be only just covered with fine

earth taken from the alleys and thrown over, after which the drills must

be lightly trodden, the surface again touched over with the rake, and if

the soil is dry and works nicely, the business may be finished by gently

patting the bed all over with the back of the spade. If the ground is

damp or heavy, this final touch may be omitted, as the Onion makes a

weak grass that cannot easily push through earth that is caked over it.

But speaking generally, an Onion bed newly sown should be quite smooth

as if finished with a roller. To the beginner this will appear a

protracted and complicated story, but the expert will attest that Onions

require and will abundantly pay for special management.



As soon as possible after the crop is visible the ground between should

be delicately chopped over with the hoe to check the weeds that will

then be rising. Immediately the rows are defined a first thinning should

be made with a small hoe, care being taken to leave a good plant on the

ground. The next thinning will produce young Onions for saladings, and

this kind of thinning may be continued by removing plants equally all

over the bed to insure an even crop, the final distance for bulbing

being about six inches. Keep the hoe at work, for if weeds are allowed

to make way, the crop will be seriously injured. When Onions are doing

well they lift themselves up and sit on the earth, needing light and

air upon their bulbs to the very axis whence the roots diverge. If weeds

spread amongst them the bulbs are robbed of air and light, and their

keeping properties are impaired. But in the use of the hoe it is

important not to loosen the ground or to draw any earth towards the

bulbs. When all the thinning has been done, and the weeds are kept down,

it will perhaps be observed that in places there are clusters of bulbs

fighting for a place and rising out of the ground together as though

enjoying the conflict. With almost any other kind of plant this crowding

would bode mischief, but with Onions it is not so. Bulbs that grow in

crowds and rise out of the ground will never be so large as those that

have plenty of room, but they will be of excellent quality, and will

keep better than any that have had ample space for high development. It

is almost a pity to touch these accidental clusters, for the removal of

a portion will perhaps loosen the ground, and so spoil the character of

those that are left. Really fine Onions are rarely produced in loose

ground, hence the necessity for care in the use of the hoe. Watering is

not often needed, and we may go so far as to say that, in a general way,

it is objectionable. But a long drought on light land may put the crop

in jeopardy, unless watering is resorted to, in which case weak manure

water will be beneficial. Still, watering must be discontinued in good

time, or it will prevent the ripening of the bulbs, and if a sign is

wanted the growth will afford it, for from the time the bulbs have

attained to a reasonable size the water will do more harm than good.



The harvesting of the crop requires as much care as the growing of it.

If all goes well, the bulbs will ripen naturally, and being drawn and

dried on the ground for a few days with their roots looking southward,

may be gathered up and topped and tailed or bunched as may be most

convenient. But there may be a little hesitation of the plant in

finishing growth, the result, perhaps, of cool moist weather, when dry

hot weather would be better. In this case the growth may be checked by

passing a rod (as the handle of a rake for example) over the bed to bend

down the tops. After this the tops will turn yellow, and the necks will

shrink, and advantage must be taken of fine weather to draw the Onions

and lay them out to dry. A gravel path or a dry shed fully open to the

sun will ripen them more completely than the bed on which they have been

grown; but large breadths of Onions must be ripened where they grew, and

experience teaches when they may be drawn with safety.



As to keeping Onions, any dry, cool, airy place will answer. But if a

difficulty arises there is an easy way out of it, for Onions may be hung

in bunches on an open wall under the shelter of the eaves of any

building, and thus the outsides of barns and stables and cottages may be

converted into Onion stores, leaving the inside free for things that are

less able to take care of themselves. During severe frost they must be

taken down and piled up anywhere in a safe place, but may be put on

their hooks again when the weather softens, for a slight frost will not

harm them in the least, and the wall will keep them comparatively warm

and dry. When the best part of the crop has been bunched or roped, the

remainder may be thrown into a heap in a cool dry shed, and a few mats

put over them will prevent sprouting for at least three months. But damp

will start them into growth, and the only way to save them then is to

top and tail them again, and store as dry as possible in shallow baskets

or boxes.



To grow large Onions the principles already explained must be carried

into practice in a more intense degree. It will be necessary to devote

extreme care to the preparation of the ground, and to give the plants

more time to mature; much greater space must also be allowed than is

usual for an ordinary crop. A good open position is imperative, and

where the soil is sufficiently deep, trenching is desirable. Shallow

soil ought to be thoroughly dug down to the last inch, and it will be

an advantage to break up the subsoil by pickaxe and fork. Cover the

subsoil with a thick layer of rotten manure before restoring the top

soil. For light land farmyard manure is excellent, but stable manure is

preferable for stiff cold soil. The usual time for trenching is October

or November, leaving the surface rough for disintegration during winter.

Nothing more need be done until the following March. Early in that month

break the soil down to a fine tilth and make it quite firm by treading,

or by rolling. Then broadcast over the plot a liberal dressing of ground

lime and soot, using about three pounds of each per pole. Rake both in

and leave the bed until the time arrives for planting out: this will

depend on the weather.



Those who are accustomed to exhibit Onions at horticultural shows almost

invariably sow very early in the year under glass and in due time

transplant either from seed-pans or boxes. Of the two, properly prepared

boxes are usually found most convenient. The dimensions are optional,

but boxes about two feet long, one foot wide, and five inches deep

answer admirably. Several holes are perforated in the bottom to insure

efficient drainage. In every box place a thick layer of rotten manure

and then fill with thoroughly rich soil firmly pressed down, leaving the

surface quite smooth. One of the most successful growers sows seed in

rather small boxes early in January, and about the middle of February

the young Onions are pricked into boxes of the size we have named. Only

the finest and most promising seedlings are used. When transferred, each

Onion is allowed a space of three inches. The boxes are kept in a

greenhouse, as near the glass as possible, in a temperature of about

50 deg.. After sowing, very little water is given; but when transplanted,

finish with a sprinkling from a fine rose. Every morning the plants will

require spraying, but this must never be done at night or damping off

may follow. All through their time in the greenhouse it is important to

keep the boxes near the glass. Towards the end of March remove to cold

frames, keeping the lights rather close for a few days, but gradually

giving more air until the lights can be taken off for a short time

daily.



In the south, about the middle of April is generally a suitable time for

transplanting to open beds, but in the event of a cold east wind

prevailing a brief delay is advisable and it is always an advantage to

plant out on a dull day or in showery weather. Space the rows twelve to

eighteen inches apart, and allow about fifteen inches between plants in

the rows. In the actual work of transplanting take care to insert only

the fibrous roots in the soil. To bury any portion of the stem results

in thickened necks. Finish with a dusting of soot over the entire bed,

including the Onions, and then well spray from a fine rose to settle the

soil around the roots. Until the plants are established continue the

spraying daily. After the middle of May renew the dusting of the bed

with soot and repeat at fortnightly intervals. About the 20th of June

feeding the Onions must commence. Peruvian guano and nitrate of soda are

both excellent, but these powerful artificials need using with

discretion, or the crop may be scorched instead of stimulated. It is

often safer to employ them in liquid form than dry, and ten ounces of

either, dissolved in ten gallons of water, will suffice for thirty

square yards. Use the two articles alternately at intervals of ten days

and cease at the end of July. If continued longer, some of the finest

bulbs will split. The use of soot can, however, be regularly maintained.

Should bulbs be required for autumn exhibition carefully lift them a

week or ten days in advance of the show date. This has the effect of

making the bulbs firm and reducing the size of the necks.



Supposing an attack of mildew to occur, a dusting of flowers of sulphur

will prove effective if applied immediately the disease appears.

Sulphide of potassium, one ounce to a gallon of water, is also a

reliable remedy.



July and August Sowing.--During these months seed of the quick-growing

types of Onion may be sown for producing an abundant supply of salading

and small bulbs during the autumn and onwards. It is important to thin

the plants early in order that those left standing in the rows may have

every opportunity of developing rapidly.



Autumn-sown Onions, intended for use in the following summer, may also

be sown in the same way as advised for spring sowing. The time of sowing

is important, as the plants should be forward enough before winter to be

useful, but not so forward as to be in danger of injury from severe

frost. On well-drained ground all the sorts are hardy, and the finest

types, which are so much prized as household and market Onions, may be

sown in autumn as safely as any others. It may be well in most places to

sow a small plot: in the latter part of July, and to make a large sowing

of the best keeping sorts about the middle of August--say, for the far

north the first of the month, and for the far south the very last day.

Thin the plants in the rows and transplant the thinnings, if required,

as soon as weather permits in February. In places where spring-sown

Onions do not ripen in good time in consequence of cold wet weather,

autumn sowing may prove advantageous, as the ripening will take place

when the summer is at its best, and the crop may be taken off before the

season breaks down.



Pickling Onions may be obtained by sowing any of the white or

straw-coloured varieties that are grown for keeping, but the large sorts

are quite unfit; the best are the Queen and Paris Silver-skin, as they

are very white when pickled and are moderately mild in flavour. A piece

of poor dry ground should be selected and made fine on the surface. Sow

in the month of April thickly, but evenly, cover lightly, and roll or

tread to give a firm seed-bed, and make a good finish. Be careful to

keep down weeds, and do not thin the crop at all. If sown very shallow

the bulbs will be round: if sown an inch deep they will be oval or

pear-shaped.



The Potato or Underground Onion is not much grown in this country, in

consequence of occasional losses of the crop in severe winters. In the

South of England the rule as to growing it is to plant on the shortest

day, and take up on the longest. It requires a rich, deep soil, and to

be planted in rows twelve inches apart, the bulbs nine inches apart in

the row. Some cultivators earth them up like Potatoes, but we prefer to

let the bulbs rise into the light, even by the removal of the earth, so

as to form a basin around each, taking care, of course, not to lay bare

the roots in so doing. When the planted bulbs have put forth a good head

of leaves, they form clusters of bulbs around them, and the best growth

is made in full daylight, the bulbs sitting on and not in the soil.



The Onion Grub (Phorbia cepetorum) is often very troublesome to the

crop, especially in its early stages, and its presence may be known by

the grass becoming yellow and falling on the ground. It will then be

found that the white portion, which should become the bulb, has been

pierced to the centre by a fleshy, shining maggot, a quarter of an inch

in length, this being the larva of an ashy-coloured, ill-looking,

two-winged fly. Where this plague has acquired such a hold as to be a

serious nuisance, care should be taken to clear out all the old store of

Onions instantly upon a sufficiency of young Onions becoming available

in spring, and to burn them without hesitation. If left to become garden

waste in the usual way, these old Onions do much to perpetuate and

augment the plague. A regular use of lime and soot will be found an

effectual preventive. Other remedies are suggested in the article on

Onion Fly, Page 420.



PARSLEY--see HERBS, page 68