ALL 



ALL 



number! into tufts. The spathe is short, two- 

 leaved, white, ovate, with purple lines: a few 

 large flowers in the umbel ; these are erect, cylin- 

 drical, with petals acutely lanceolate, shining, 

 faint purple with a darker line, in two rank*, 

 joined at the base : stamens from the origin of 

 the petals, with broad bottoms, connected with 

 the petals and each other. The capsule is conical 

 and obtuse. The smell is very strong. It is a 

 native of Italy. 



The fourth species is nearly of the same size 

 as that above. The stem is almost naked, rising 

 about seven inches in height. The spathe is 

 membranaceous : the bulbs are formed in a close 

 cluster : the leaves are small, slender, and awl- 

 shaped : the flowers less than in the above spe- 

 cies : the petals erect, ovate, lanceolate, of a 

 blue colour with a dark keel : the stamina of the 

 same length as the petals, alternately broader, with 

 trifid tops: the anthene of a yellow colour; the 

 style with an obtuse stigma. 



In the fifth, the roots are small, bulbous, and 

 perennial : the stem upright, nearly naked, smooth, 

 and cylindrical, having clusters of small bulbs of 

 the onion form at the top : the spathe ovate, 

 pointed, and sharpish: the leaves flat, smooth, 

 and straight, about seven inches in length. The 

 flowers are few, pedicelled, and of a whitish co- 

 lour : the petals oval with simple filaments, the 

 length of the corolla; the antheroe being of a 

 brownish red. It is a native of North America. 



In the first of these species and varieties the 

 roots are large and bulbous, the. plants being 

 biennial, as on being sown in the spring they 

 arrive at perfection in the root the same year, 

 and next year shoot up into stalk, flower, and 

 ripen seed ; when the stem quicklv dies, and the 

 individual is destroyed. 



But in the second they never form any bulbs 

 at bottom ; and in the third they are very small, 

 the plants being hardy and perennial, being capa- 

 ble of being continued many years by the roots. 



The fourth and fifth species are bulbous-rooted 

 perennials, which multiplv greatly by offsets. 



In the Leek kind there is only one species, 

 which is the A. Parrum, Common Leek. 



It has an oblong truncated root : the stem or 

 scape is three feet high or more, and leafy at the 

 bottom. The leaves are an inch wide, with the 

 edges smooth or cauline : the spathe shortly co- 

 nical, deciduous : the flowers in a close, vcrv 

 large ball, or head, on purple peduncles : the co- 

 rolla is also purplish. It flowers in April and 

 May. 



There are several varieties in cultivation : — as 

 the Broad-leaved or London Leek, — the Narrow- 

 leaved Leek, — the Striped-leaved Leek. 



The first of these varieties is the best for gene- 

 ral culture, as it attains a large growth, the neck 



acquiring a thick fleshy substance ; in length 

 from six to nine or ten inches, dividing upward 

 into many large, long, thick leaves, that arrange 

 themselves in a sort of fan-form. 



The second sort runs up with a long thin neck, 

 and narrow thin straggling leaves, which is an 

 inferior variety that seldom deserves culture: 

 and the Striped-leaved kind is only grown for 

 variety. It may be continued by the suckers 

 that rise from the old roots. 



The Leek may with propriety be said to be an 

 annual and biennial plant; for, although the roots 

 often survive, after perfecting seed, the plants 

 always attain perfection the same year they are 

 sown, and the year afterwards run up to stalk, 

 and become unfit for use. The seed-stalk in 

 this plant does not belly, as in that of the 

 onion. 



Culture hi the Garlick kind. — The propagation 

 in all the sorts may be effected with great faci- 

 lity by means of offsets from the roots, and in 

 many of them by seed, and the small bulbs con- 

 tained on the stalks. Common Garlick is con- 

 stantly propagated by the small bulbs that con- 

 stitute the main root, which may be readily di- 

 vided into a great number of separate cloves. 

 These are to be planted in the spring, in beds four 

 feet wide, a little raised in rows lengthways, at 

 from six to nine inches distance from each other, 

 six inches asunder in each row, and two or three 

 inches in depth. The planting may be perform- 

 ed either by means of a blunt dibble or by draw- 

 ing drills, and placing the cloves in them, after- 

 wards covering them with the earth. When 

 planted in this way they mostly shoot up their 

 leaves in a month or six weeks, requiring only 

 occasional small-hoeing afterwards, to keep the 

 plants clean from weeds. In the beginning of 

 June the leaves should be tied in knots, in order 

 to prevent their spindling, and enlarge the bulbs. 



About the end of July or beginning of August 

 the bulbs are generally full grown, as is evident 

 from the yellow appearance and the withering of 

 the leaves: they must then be taken up, cleaned, 

 and dried in the sun, and afterwards tied or 

 plaited in bunches to be hung up and preserved 

 for domestic use. 



Rocambole may be propagated either by the 

 offsets of its roots or by the cloves produced on 

 the tops of the stalks, which may be planted in 

 spring or autumn; but in the autumn planting, 

 as about October or November, they generally 

 grow considerably larger than when planted in 

 the spring season. 



The sets are to be planted in the manner di- 

 rected for Garlick, and are commonly fit for use 

 about July or August, according as' hey have 

 been put in early or late. But roots . this sort 

 never acquire any very large size. 



