Oignon. Zwiebeln.

No. 968. - The Onion is a half-hardy biennial plant. The roots and leaves, however, are annual, as they usually perish during the first year. The bulbs, for which the plant is generally cultivated, are biennial, and differ to a considerable extent in their size, form, and color. It contains considerable nutriment and has valuable 15 medicinal qualities. The disagreeable odor it imparts to the breath may be avoided in a great measure by thorough cooking, or by eating a few leaves of parsley. Much depends upon the climate and soil as well as the quality of seed, which exerts a great influence on the crop, and to this end great care should be exercised in selecting the seed. The white Onion is much sweeter than the red. Onions are used more than any other vegetable for culinary purposes.

Preparation Of The Soil

No. 969. - A good crop of Onions can be raised in any soil which will produce a full crop of corn, unless it be stiff clay, very light sand or gravel, or certain varieties of muck or swamp land. There is no crop in which the quality of the manure used is of greater importance than in this. If it is too rank it is quite sure to make soft Onions, with many scullions. It should be fermented during the previous summer to kill the wheat seeds. All refuse of the previous crop should be removed, the manure spread evenly, and the ground plowed a moderate depth, in order to thoroughly mix the manure with the soil. Cultivate as early in the spring as the ground will permit. It is impossible to cultivate the crop economically unless the rows are perfectly straight, and to secure this, stretch a line along one side, fourteen feet from the edge, and make a distinct mark as a guide. Then having made a wooden marker something like a giant rake (with five teeth about a foot long, and fourteen inches apart), make four more marks by carefully drawing it with the outside tooth in the line and the head at right angles to the perfectly straight mark made by the line. Continue to work around this line until on the third passage of the marker you reach the side of the field where you began. Measure fifteen feet two inches from the last row, stretch the line again and mark around in the same way. This is much better than to stretch a line along one side. Sow the seed as soon as the ground is ready, which can be done best by a hand seed drill.

Culture

No. 970. - As soon as the Onions are up so they can be seen the length of the rows, hoe them by just skimming the ground between the rows. A few days after give them the second hoeing. This time hoe close up to the plants. After this weeding must commence, which should be done thoroughly and carefully, stirring the earth around the plants in order to destroy any weeds that have just started and cannot be seen. In about two weeks they will require another hoeing and weeding, similar to the last, and two weeks later another if necessary. If the work is carefully done the crop will need no further attention until ready to gather. Then, as soon as the tops die and fall, the crop should be gathered by pulling four rows and laying them in one row (the tops all one way), and then forming a similar row with the tops in the opposite direction. If the weather is fine they will require no attention, while curing, but if not they will need to be stirred, by simply moving them slightly along the row. When the tops are perfectly dry cut them off half an inch from the bulb and throw each pair of rows together, forming windrows about nine feet apart. After a few days of bright weather they will be fit to store away.