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Show r in . FARM arc AND T" GARDEN RAISING ONIONS FOR MARKET Avoid New Land, Get Pure Seed and Cultivate Properly 9ystem of Rotation Is Best. - (By R. G. WEATHERSTONE.) New land Is not adapted to onion-growing, onion-growing, and this crop should always follow some crop that has been under hoe, and free from weeds. Onions should follow potatoes, beans or corn. The land should be well plowed in the autumn, disked and harrowed in the spring until it is as fine as garden-soil. Always manure heavily before breaking up the land in the fall. On new land cowpeas are excellent for bringing the land into shape. Onions should be grown under a system of crop rotation, but the crops used in the rotation must be those Device for Smoothing Soil Before Seeding. that will not exhaust tho high fertility fertil-ity necessary to onions. Continuous cropping with onions will cause the land to become diseased and filled with Insect enemies. One of the most Important things in onion-culture is to mix the fertilizer with the soil well. On land that is not thoroughly drained, plow in beds, leav-ing leav-ing a double furrow between the beds to carry oft surplus water. These beds may be 75 to 150 feet In width. The disc-harrow puts the land in fine' condition after It has been thoroughly thor-oughly plowed tn the fall. For finishing finish-ing the soil a tool is now made, which when drawn over the ground will fill and obliterate all tracks, leaving the surface smooth and even, and In fine condition for either seed or transplanting. The feeding-roots of the onion run close to the surface, and should not be disturbed by deep cultivation. After a rain, break up the surface of the soil by means of a steel rake. As soon as the plants are growing well, the cultivator should be started and kept going, in order to keep the soil In good condition, and to prevent Weeds. The single wheel-hoe Is an excellent tool for this purpose. Some of the large growers near Chicago have adopted a hoe stock, consisting of a Wheel Hoes Adapted to Working Onions. pair of light plow-handles, an Iron stock, and the front wheel of a bicycle. bi-cycle. This Is patented. The hand-weeder hand-weeder may be used to good advantage. |