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Show MASSING OLSONS FOR MARKET J I AVOID NEW LAND, GET PURE SEED AND CULTIVATE , jl PROPERLY. --,' . jl il ' New land Is not adapted to onion-growing, onion-growing, and this crop should always al-ways follow home crop that has been under hoc, and free from weeds. On-1 On-1 Ions should follow potatoes, beans or corn. The land should be well plowed in the autumn, disked and harrowed In tho spring until it Is as fine ns gardon-soll. Always manuro heavily before breaking up the land In the fall On now land cowpeas are excellent for bringing tho land into shape. Onions should bo grown undor a system of crop rotation, but tho crops used In tho rotation must be those that will not exhaust tho high fcr- iiiuy necessary to onions, continuous cropping with onions will can so the land to become diseased and filled with Insect enemies One of tho most important things In onion-culture is to mix the feitl- Device u;cd for smoothing soil before be-fore ceding. Ils-cr with tho soil well. On land that Is not thoroughly drained, plow in beds, leaving a double furrow between be-tween the beds to carry off surplus .... a ...Jl. v.U3 1IIU.JT uu It kU iilU feet In width. Tho disc-harrow puts the land in line condition after it has beon thoroughly thor-oughly plowed In the fall. For finishing finish-ing the soil a tool is now mndc, which when drawn over tho ground will fill and obliterate all tracks, leaving the surface smooth and c'on, and in flno condition for cither seed or transplanting. trans-planting. Never use manure, except that which Is well rotted. In the south, Bermuda-onion growers use as high as 20 tons of shecp-and goat-manuro per acre every three years. Often, ,ln addition to this, they uso one thousand thou-sand to two thousand pounds of cot-ton-sccd meal, and sometimes a top-dressing top-dressing of nltrato of soda A fertilizer, well ndapted to the growing of onions, should contnln about five per cent of nitrogen, five to SOVen ner eont of nhnunhnrni nwl eight to ten per cent of potash, and should bo used at the rato of 1000 pounds to the acre. In the north, seed is sown as early In the spring as possible, but never before the land Is In the best possible condition. Seed may bo sown by hand-drllls in rows from 12 to 14 Inches In-ches apart. Whore horso oulturo is employed, the distance should be at least two feet. It requires about 4 pounds of seed per acre whoro it is drilled 14 inches apart, With rows threo feet apart, about i 1 ', pounds will be neceissary, but I where small onions for pickling pur- poses are required, as much as 25 pounds per acre can bo used. First-class First-class seed will cost from 51.50 to I $2.50 por pound. At tho first weeding by nana. i fil plants should bo thinned In a uniform u, stand, with about eight or ten plants , hj to tho fool. . MB Where small areas aro grown tno ijjfH transplanting Is desirable, "but on 1 largo areas Is impracticable. To q :H transplant, tho seed must be grown B :m In green-houses, hotbods, or cold J . frames, and hardened off by increased f St ventilation and exposure, and tho ''fjw withholding of moisture. v . '.& The plants arc then lifted frqm.thoj I, aeodbed, tho roots and tops trimmed L rather closely, and then packed in Vf, shallow boxs. in which they are car- C tPV rled to tho field. . ' Ij Transplanting Is dono by merely KBLb maKing a noio in iie ow'. t& - Hfi finger and setting in tho plant. Sets IM2 may be planted in the same way, and ., Ijfl onions grown from sots will ripen j i bHI earlier than those from seed. HH Wlien sets aro used, mako a fur- H row about two Inches deep, drop tho H sets about three inches apart, and H cover firmly. fl The fcodlng-rools of the onion run H9 close to the surface, and should not R be disturbed by deep cultivation. HI After a rain, break up tho surface of Tfl tho soil by means of a steel rake. As US soon as the plants are growing well, mBt the cultivator should bo started arid nMf kept going. In order to keep the soil B9 In good condition, and to prevent wffiS weeds. Jlfyfi Tho singlo whool-hoc Is an oxcellcnt if isjfc largo growers near Chicago havo Vt Sl adopted, a hoo stock, consisting of a K da pair of light plow-handles, an iron V M stock, and the front wheel of a bl- E g cycle. This Is patented. The hand- W 3 . weedcr may bo used to good advan- KIM tage. WS9 In tho north the crop ripens, and ifs! j is ready for harvest, during tho latter HfSl I mkM ml Wheel- hoes adapted to working- E iSj onions. 'i'j2 "'131 part of summer and early autumn, ilM generally commencing about tho last ijjf of July, and finishing before the first ! ' S of October. In the south, where the rw 'crop Is grown during the winter, tho ' harvesting and marketing nro during J tho spring months. jttJ The bulbs should then bo placed In ' i crates for market, for drying. Too ' long exposure to the hot sunshine will j- injure tho bulbs. The crates should ' jlw bo placed In stacks under open sheds. l iv" or covered with boards or canvas!' I1 Wrj with plenty of air spaces between Ml 1 them, until they aro perfectly dry. f! rj when they may be sorted and sent to I market. , It IfLL, f rv- |