ONIONS AND LEEKS. 141 



that indicated, to a populous mining district, act- 

 ually, from the force of habit, divided her garden 

 into four equal parts : two of which were planted 

 with leeks, and one with onions ; the remaining 

 portion, being occupied by potatoes, surrounded by 

 a border of chives ; while chives shared with thrift 

 and " gilliflowers/' a layer of earth placed on the 

 top of the low wall ! It will be deemed unneces- 

 sary, I imagine, to add anything further on the sub- 

 ject, when we state that seifys, one of the Welsh 

 names for the leek, and which is usually applied to 

 the young plant, is also used to designate the straw- 

 berry ! so complimentary is thought the name of 

 the "leek." 



In almost all ages the onion tribe have been re- 

 garded as restoratives, on account of their stimu- 

 lating qualities, thus Yirgil says : 



" And for the mowers, all faint with summer airs, 

 Wild thyme, and garlic, Thestylis prepares."* 



Innumerable, too, are the virtues which have at all 

 times been attributed to them. This is especially 

 the case in the East ; though it ill accords with the 

 oriental superstition that when Satan stepped out 

 from the garden of Eden after the fall of man, garlic 

 sprang up from the spot where he placed his left 

 foot, and onions from that which his right foot 

 touched ; on which account, perhaps, Mohammed 

 habitually fainted at the smell of either ! yet verily, 

 adds a certain good oldEffendi,in relating the legend, 

 " verily both are very good food/' We must, however, 



* "Wrangham's Yirgil " Eclogues." 



