372 GARDENING FOR BEGINNERS 



through the aid of fern or long litter is useful. But where ordinary care has been taken 

 in planting, and strong hearts result, the blanched product always fully repays for the 

 trouble taken. 



Leeks. These edible stem plants deserve far wider culture than they usually get. Pos- 

 sibly some prejudice against them exists because they belong to the Onion family, but their 

 perfume and taste are not strong, an d they are really excellent as a cooked vegetable when pro- 

 perly blanched, as the process of blanching the stems takes away all strong flavours. Leeks 

 can be easily raised from seed, and a gardener in a small way 'may raise sufficient plants 

 for his first crop by sowing seed in a to-inch shallow pan filled with fine soil, standing it 

 in a frame to promote germination. That may be done early in April. The young plants, 

 when 4 inches in height, may be lifted from this seed-pan, and be dibbled up thinly into 

 shallow boxes, or under a hand-light, or in a frame, where they become strong and well- 

 rooted in about a couple of weeks. From thence lifted carefully with balls of soil and 

 roots, and transplanted into a trench as prepared for Celery, growth soon goes on, and in 

 a little time some soil maybe put around the stems, this going on all the summer, and by 

 the end of August, or soon after, the plants will have stout stems, blanched as white as snow, 

 to a height of from 10 inches to 12 inches. These may be lifted and trimmed, and cooked 

 as required. A second sowing may be made outdoors about the middle of May. From this 

 plants can be put out, as before described, late in the summer, and they will be hardy enough 

 when well earthed up to stand the winter, and give stems over a long season and at a time 

 when vegetables are scarce. Stems such as are usually furnished at exhibitions are very 

 large, quite as big round as broom handles. These are far too big for ordinary table use. 

 Those about the dimensions of an ordinary walking stick are better. Many persons are 

 content to dibble their plants out into rows 18 inches apart, letting the stems down in 

 dibbling them quite 4 inches, and then later, as the plants grow, adding a little soil to 

 them. But it is much better to prepare trenches with manure buried into them, as is done 

 for Celery, as growth is quicker, and the blanched stems are, when cooked, more tender. 

 There are a few slightly diverse varieties of Leeks, but under ordinary cultivation one is 

 about as good as another. For exhibition, the Champion, Exhibkion, and Lyon are 

 esteemed the best, and they are equally so for ordinary garden culture. 



Lettuce. The most popular and widely-consumed of all leaf or heart salads is Lettuce, 

 and it can be had good for a long season. There are two diverse forms, one being tall, 

 and erect, called Cos, the other of dwarf form, somewhat squat, and herating, and 

 called Cabbage. There are white, green, and reddish lines in both sections, and some of 

 the latter are much curled. Both are good, although some consumers prefer the latter 

 form for eating. Seed is cheap and plentiful. Sowings may be made at frequent intervals, 

 beginning in March under glass, sowing thinly in a shallow box or pan, and standing it 

 in a frame or greenhouse ; then having the young plants, when a few inches high, lifted out 

 and dibbled 2 inches apart into other boxes, or else into a frame, or under hand-lights, for 

 a few weeks, when they are strong enough to plant outdoors on to a warm border to 

 give a supply for early cuttings. Both Cos and Cabbage forms may be so sown. A 

 further sowing may be made on a warm border, and rather more largely, early in April, 

 and others, always quite small ones, in succeeding months, as in that way a supply of 

 plants for cutting is kept up. The latest sowing should be made about the middle of 

 September, in a frame filled with soil to within a few inches of the top. Such a sowing 

 should be of Hick's Hardy Green Cos, and Black Seeded Brown Cos. These are amongst 

 the hardiest, and can be kept as strong seedling plants through the winter, ready to plant 

 out in March in a sheltered position. The latest sowing for outdoors in the summer 

 should be made about the middle of August of the above-named varieties and of Hardy 

 Cabbage varieties. These can be planted out at the end of September beneath walls, or 

 on warm, sloping banks or borders, to stand the winter. Summer Lettuces are most valu- 

 able, because the leafage is so cool and pleasant to eat in hot weather. A good variety to 

 stand heat is Paris White Cos, but when planted from June onwards the position should 

 be partially shaded, the soil deeply worked, and where ample water can be given. When 

 the position is hot and dry the plants do not heart in, but bolt off to flower. Whilst in 

 the summer, beds planted with Lettuce may be made to slope to the north, in the winter 

 they should slope to the south. Very thick sowing results in the production usually of far 

 more plants than are needed, and so many that are weak and drawn. Thin sowing and 

 early planting out thinly from seed-pans or beds prevent weakness and a drawn growth. 

 Lettuces, being in the young stage tender and succulent, are much relished by slugs and 

 snails. It is therefore, in planting out, needful to dust about the plants freely, especially 

 at night, with fresh-slacked lime or good soot. This needs to be followed up for a couple 

 of weeks after each planting until the plants become hard. Cabbage Lettuces need no 

 tying, as naturally they heart in firmly, neither should any good stock of tall or Cos 

 Lettuce ; the practice of tying them with bast or raffia is carried out chiefly to assist the 

 hearts to form and become blanched earlier. 



Varieties. Of Cos or tall varieties the finest is the Champion White Cos ; the best 



