?Growing Onions

Bulb onions (Allium Cepa) can be grown in the tropics, even at low altitudes, provided plantings are made at the right season and suitable varieties are used. In areas of high rainfall the best time to plant is in the middle of the rains, and at the beginning of the rains where the rainy season is short, thus allowing the plants to form a bulb by the end of the rains which can ripen during the dry season.

Sow the seed not more than .4- an inch deep in drills in shallow boxes or baskets, using the usual mixture. The box should be well watered, and this is best done by standing it in a shallow bath. In about ten days germination should be complete and they can be transplanted into the permanent beds as soon as they are 2 to 3 inches high. In dry areas it is best to sink the beds 3 inches below the surface, but in areas of high rainfall the normal raised bench bed is most suitable.

Although onions like a well-drained soil (which can be obtained by double-digging) they do need a consolidated topsoil. First of all fork in compost or animal manure at the rate of at least I cwt. per roo square feet, and fertilizer, made up of equal parts of superphosphate and muriate of potash, at the rate of I lb. for the same area; then break down the topsoil to a very fine filth, removing all stones and lumps; finally firm down by placing a board on the bed and walking on it.

When transplanting, give a spacing of 8 inches in the rows and 12 inches between the rows. Do not plant the seedlings too deeply, or some of the bulbs will later rot in the ground. As the bulbs form they should rest on the top of the soil; later, in the dry season, they will ripen easily.

Hoeing between the rows will greatly assist growth and the bed should be kept free from weeds. A month after transplanting, a top dressing of superphosphate at z lb. per zoo square feet is an advantage.

As the leaves start to die down, lift the bulbs out and lay them in the sun to dry. When the tops have withered completely they can easily be wrung off and the bulbs themselves stored in wooden trays in a cool, dry place.

During the growing period some plants may produce thickened stems. These should be removed before they send up a flower as at this stage they are quite useful in the kitchen. If left until the flower is produced, they have little value.