SHALLOT. 199 



March, in rows eighteen inches apart, and six inches from 

 bulb to bulb, which should be covered about three inches 

 deep. Cultivate and earth or hill up like potatoes, and 

 they will continue to grow till about the first of August, when 

 they are to be taken out of the ground, dried and treated 

 like onions raised in the ordinary way. A single onion, 

 slightly covered, will often produce five or six of good size. 

 The Tree or Welsh Onion is adapted to very cold coun- 

 tries, shooting up rank stems, upon which small bulbs 

 grow instead of seeds. These small bulbs are preserved 

 and planted out next year, producing roots of considerable 

 size, besides a fresh supply of little seed bulbs on the 

 stems. 



The Leek (Allium Porrum) is a. native of Switzerland, 

 but has probably been cultivated in England for many cen- 

 turies. The varieties are the narrow-leaved or Flanders 

 leek, the Scotch or flag-leek, and the broad-leaved or tall 

 London leek. Of these, the Scotch leek is considered as 

 the most hardy ; and Mr. Handasyde's Musselburgh va- 

 riety is preferred. 



Leeks are sown in beds in spring, and in June or July 

 are planted out in rows fifteen or eighteen inches apart, and 

 six inches asunder between the rows. The tips of the 

 fibrous roots are trimmed before planting. When the 

 weather is moist, it is found beneficial merely to lay the 

 plants into the hole made by the dibble, without closing 

 the earth upon it, the stem being by this means encouraged 

 to swell out and fill the hole. 



Shallot (Allium ascalonicum) is a native of Palestine. 

 It is much used in cookery for high-flavored soups and 

 gravies, and is sometimes put into pickles. A variety 



