140 THE VEGETABLE CULTIVATOR. 



being levelled' and the heat having arisen, shallow 

 drills should be drawn from the front to the back of 

 the pit at about a foot apart, and the seed (the small 

 Negro) dropped at two or three inches distant. Cover 

 them lightly with earth, and keep the lights nearly 

 close until the plants begin to break ground, at which 

 time air should be given, and if worked, by a thermo- 

 meter, the heat should be kept up by the linings from 

 fifty to sixty degrees, and from that height gradually 

 to seventy- five, which will finally bring the beans to 

 perfection, with attention to air and water. During 

 their growth a little mould should be drawn up on 

 each side of the rows, and if there is not sufficient 

 within the frame, a little extra must be added ; and 

 unless the weather is uncommonly severe, heavy 

 covering will not be necessary; the principal matter 

 is to keep up a proper degree of heat by renewing 

 the linings. The tops of a few of the leading 

 shoots of the plants being pinched off, will throw 

 them (as before observed) into a more regular 

 state of growth and bearing. A new crop sown 

 about every three weeks will keep up a succession : 

 those sown at the beginning of April will last to 

 the middle or end of June ; when they will be suc- 

 ceeded by the early half-forced crops in the open 

 ground. 



28. LEEK. ALLIUM. 



Allium, Porrum. The generic name of Allium 

 is given to the leek as a branch of the onion family ; 

 the original name, Porrum, is, like others in the 

 Linnaean system, made a specific, from the character 

 of the flower. 



