MARCH.] THE KITCHEN-GARDEN. 



Solving Leeks. 



Leek seed may be sown, and treated in every respect for the pre- 

 sent, as directed for onion seed. 



Planting Seed Onions. 



By seed onions is meant, the small bulbs produced from seed sown 

 last season, which should be planted out, as early in spring as it is 

 possible to get the ground in a good state for tillage ; the southern 

 states, in particular, have to depend on such for a general crop, as 

 the summer heat is too powerful in these, and indeed in the middle 

 states, except the ground is peculiarly suitable, for the bulbs arriving 

 at a sufficient size the first year from seed. 



Having prepared an open piece of strong ground, well dug and 

 enriched with manure, you may proceed to plant these bulbs in 

 rows, either by line and dibble, or by hoe ; planting them not more 

 than half an inch over the crowns : let the drills or rows be six 

 inches asunder, and the onions three inches one from the other in 

 the rows. 



But for expedition sake, especially when there are large quanti- 

 ties to be planted ; prepare an instrument, just in form of a com- 

 mon hay-rake, having four round teeth or pegs, either of wood or 

 iron, placed in the head, at the distance of six inches from each 

 other, four inches long, and near an inch in diameter, close to the 

 head, tapering to a blunt point : 'this being in readiness, proceed to 

 mark out your ground into two feet wide beds, leaving a twelve inch 

 alley between each ; then pull this rake along each bed from one 

 end to the other, pressing it down as you proceed, by which it will 

 make four regular drills in each, for the reception of the small 

 onions, which you are to plant by hand in these drills, at the dist- 

 ance above mentioned, and just so deep as that you can cover the 

 crowns, by drawing a little earth over them with the hand as you 

 proceed". 



By the same method, you may plant these onions in beds of any 

 dimensions you please, either lengthwise, or across the beds. 



The Allium canadensc, or tree onion, merits culture both as a 

 curiosity in producing the onions at the top of the stalk, as well as 

 for their value in domestic use, particularly for pickling, in which 

 they are excellent, and superior in flavour to the common kinds ; 

 and may also be used for any other purposes that onions are. 



It is perennial, and propagated by planting the bulbs in spring 

 or autumn, either the root-jpulbs, or those produced on the top of 

 the stalks ; the latter if planted in spring as directed for the other 

 kinds will produce very fine handsome sized onions of excellent 

 flavour. 



The root-bulbs encrease greatly by offsets, and should be taken 

 up once in every two or three years^when the stems decay in au- 

 tumn, and replanted again to produce a supply of top-bulbs. 



