THE ONION FAMILY 125 



however, that they should not be confused with certain 

 similar looking but poisonous bulbous plants when lifting. 



Garlic. This is a vegetable of which a little goes a 

 long way, so the average grower will not need to arrange 

 for more than one or two rows. Crops may be raised 

 from seed, but propagation is usually carried out by 

 means of cloves (see Plate 10, Fig. 2). When this method 

 is adopted the rules set down for shallots will serve, but 

 planting is well postponed to March, and frequently the 

 matured bulbs will not be ready until the first week in 

 September. Tie the long thin stems in knots, during 

 July, to arrest the formation of seed heads. 



The Potato Onion is seldom worth growing except on 

 land where ordinary varieties of onions are known to fare 

 badly. Cultural notes are similar to those set down for 

 shallots. 



The Tree Onion (see Fig. 4, Plate 10) is a curiosity of 

 the allium family which produces onions as offsets to the 

 roots as well as bulbs on the stem, both kinds being 

 edible. Propagation consists in planting the stem bulbs 

 two inches down, four inches apart, in rows separated 

 by eight inches, or planting the root bulbs one inch down, 

 twelve inches asunder, in rows a foot apart. This should 

 be done in March or October. Support the plants on 

 becoming leggy by means of stakes, and gather the bulbs 

 when fully ripe and perfectly dry. 



Leeks. This member of the onion family is of con- 

 siderable value as it gives supplies in winter when all its 

 close relations have ceased growing. Culture depends 

 upon the quality of produce which is expected. If leeks 

 of the size of spring onions are deemed useful, and they 



