No. 4021 — Growing Onions for Seed
English historical translation of Molokhovets recipe No. 4021 from the 1901 Russian cookbook, retaining original methods and measures.
A good onion harvest depends on the quality of seed and especially the soil. Plant large bulbs saved from the previous year, preferably on a site exposed to the east and south.
Plant bulbs a little more than one vershok deep and about four vershoks apart. They send up seed stalks in May or June.
Tie tall stalks to stakes to prevent wind damage and water in hot weather.
When seed heads split and seeds become visible, cut the heads with enough stalk to tie into bundles and dry in sunshine for several days.
Store dry heads in hanging bunches rather than threshing the seeds immediately. The author recommends sowing seeds the year after collection and restarting the crop from seed every five years because repeatedly planted bulbs supposedly become smaller and less tasty.
The original also gives historical folk remedies using raw onion with sugar for digestive trouble, shortness of breath, dropsy, kidney stones, scurvy, worms and cough.
It suggests placing onion on cotton wool inside the ear for tinnitus or temporary hearing trouble and rubbing it on skin lesions.
For sick livestock during epidemics, the author describes a mixture of three large crushed onions, a handful of salt and a bottle of beer, administered to the animal.