ONIDN. Allium cepa. .The onion is one of the oldest cultivated as it is one of the most celebrated of ancient vegetables. In Egypt, it attained great excellence and mildness, probably from the steady heat, and constant moisture of irrigation in connection with the rich alluvial soil of the Nile. The Israelites in their wander ings in the desert, lamented the ,loas of onions as one of their privations. Of the Egyptians and their worship of the allium tribe, Juvenal wrote: Now Egypt, mad with superstition grown, Makes gads of monsters, but too well is known, 'Tis mortal siu an onion to devour, Each clove of garlic has a sacred power.
Religious nation. surel and blest abodes, Where ey'ry garden is o'errrin with gods! The oniOn is cultivated extensively in every civilized country, and forms a considerable article of transport from one place to another.
Besides the general cultivation, vast quantities are grown along the Mississippi river in Iowa, for transportation South. In the Eastern States, especially in Connecticut, large quantities sre grown for export. There are a great mAny varieties, but the Danvers Yellow and Large Red are principally cultivated for their keeping qualities, and the tither Skin for pickling. The Yellow Strasburgh is also a valuable variety in general cultivation, but the two first named are preferred for shipping. The crop requires a rich, deep, mellow soil, heavily manured. It is better that they be sown as early in the spring as the ground can be worked on fall plowing.
Three to four pounds of fresh seed is the usual quantity sown per acre, in drills eighteen inches apart, and half an inch deep. The cultivation is entirely by hand machines and superficial, working close to the crop. When the plants are three inches high, thin to two inches apart. Keep free from weeds, and as the bulbs begin to form, draw the earth away rather than to the bulbs. Never cultivate deeply, as it will injure the surface roots. As the crop gains size the tops gradually die down, and early sowings generally ripen in the West, in August. When the tops are entirely dry, the onions are collected into thin. windrows, with spaces between to dry for a few days. When dry, the tops are pulled off, the bulbs cleaned of the rough skins, when they are ready for market. If the onions are to be stored for winter, they should he kept in a cool shy place, in thin layers, until late in the autumn, they are then carried to a cold dry cellar, and stored on racks, in layers six or eight inches deep. They may also be saved in heaps, out of doors, by piling in a dry place, just before hard frosts set in, covering carefully with hay, and then with earth, just so they will freeze slightly. Thus they should not be touched until the frost draws out of them naturally, when they must he immediately sold.