263 



HISTORY OP THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 



leaves are long, slender, and pointed. The flower- 

 ing stem, when it is allowed to rise, is slightly 

 curved, and seldom attains to- more than a few 

 inches in height. The flowers are white, with a 

 purple tinge ; they grow crowded together, and 

 are, even in the most cold and moist situations, 

 followed hy capsules and seeds. When culti- 

 vated, the plants are, however, seldom allowed 

 to run to seed, as they are not usually drawn to 

 be eaten entire, but have the leaves and young 

 tops cut off to be used as a potherb. Chives ai'e 

 very hardy, and require no attention during their 

 growth except to keep them free from weeds ; 

 they are propagated by slips, or by dividing the 

 roots in the spring or autumn. 



When the leaves are gatliered for use, if they 

 are cut close, others will shoot up in succession, 

 and in this manner a bed lasts three or four years; 

 after which period it must be renewed. When 

 fresh cut, these leaves are by some persons con- 

 sidered as an improvement to salads and season- 

 ings. Their flavour suffers greatly if they be 

 kept after gathering even for a very short time, 

 and their produce is but small in proportion to 

 the labour of gathering. On these accounts they 

 are not much cultivated in places where veget- 

 ables are supplied in the markets; and they sel- 

 dom find a place in the garden of the English 

 peasant, who, partly from ignorance, and partly 

 from prejudice, does not live much upon those 

 soups and savoury dishes wliich, while they are 

 more wholesome and nourishing than the food 

 which he consumes, are also considerably cheaper. 



The Leek (allium porrum), is said to be in- 

 digenous to Switzerland, whence it was intro- 

 duced into this country ; but it has been for so 

 many ages under cultivation, that its native place 

 cannot, perhaps, be very accurately traced. Ac- 

 cording to translators and commentators, this, as 

 well as tlie onion and garlic, was included among 

 the Egj-ptian luxuries after which the Israelites 

 pined. It still makes its constant appearance at 

 the tables of the Egyptians, who eat it chopped 

 small as a savoury accompaniment to meat. 



The exact period when the leek was first 

 brought into this country is not known; but it is 

 mentioned by Titsser, in his "Five Hundred 

 Points of Good Husbandry," as early as 1562. 

 There is, however, every reason for believing 

 that it was introduced prior to that time, and 

 iiad long been the favourite badge of the Welsh 

 principality. Shakspeare makes this to have 

 arisen at the time of the battle of Cressy. 



Worlidge gives a good idea of the love of the 

 Welsh for these kinds of odoriferous vegetables. 

 lie says, " I have seen the greater part of a gar- 

 den there stored with leeks, and part of the re- 

 mainder with onions and garlic." 



The hardiness and pungency of the leek both 

 tend to recommend it in those countries where 

 few potherbs arc grown, and it seems to have 



great facility in adapting itself to climate. Tlie 

 leek which is cultivated in the colder parts of 

 Scotland, and thence is called the Scotch leek, is 

 more hardy and also more pungent than the 

 broad-leaved variety, chiefly cultivated in Eng- 

 land. It was formerly a very favourite ingre- 

 dient in the "cock-a-leekie" of the Scotch, 

 which is so graphically described in -'The For- 

 tunes of Nigel ;" and of which James the First 

 is reported to have been so fond, that he retained 

 his preference for it notwithstanding all the 

 dainties of London cookery. 



This species requires more boiling than othera 

 of the same genus, and unless it be reduced nearly 

 to a pulp, it taints the breath in a very offensive 

 manner. The offensive odour of a vegetable is, 

 however, no evidence of unwholesomeness, pro- 

 vided the odour is natural to it, and not the re- 

 sult of putrefaction. 



The bulb of the leek consists of the bottoms 

 of the leaves, which do not form in bnlbnles or 

 cloves like those of the gajjic, neither are they 

 so entire as the tunics of the onion ; the stem 

 runs to the height of about three feet ; the flowers, 

 which are bell-shaped, appear in May, in large 

 close balls, followed by capsules containing seeds. 

 As the root of the leek is rather the blanched 

 end of the leaves than a bulb, properly so called, 

 the plant is to be considered chiefly as a potherb ; 

 though in some places both the root and the 

 greater part of the leaves are eaten by the pea- 

 santry as an accompaniment to their bread. Its 

 chief value, however, is as a potherl), which 

 stands the winter well, and is in a forward and 

 succulent state at that part of the season when 

 fresh vegetables are the least abundant. The 

 culture of the leek is similar to that of the onion. 



The Shallot Callium AscaloniumJ, is a na- 

 tive of warmer climates than that of England. 

 It is found growing wild in many parts of Syria, 

 especially near Ascalon, whence it derives its 

 name. The time of its introduction into this 

 country is not known. Some writers assume 

 that it was brought home by the crusaders. It 

 is mentioned as a well known plant by Turner, 

 in his " Signes of Ilerbes," published in 1548. 

 This jilant resembles the true garlic in having its 

 roots divided into cloves or smaller roots, and 

 enclosed in a thin membrane. Each of these 

 small roots sends forth two or three fistular awl- 

 shaped leaves, issuing from a sheath; they are 

 nearly similar, but not so large, as those of the 

 onion. The shallot does not in all situations 

 produce perfect seeds, or even flowers, and some- 

 times, indeed, does not send up any foot-stalk. 

 The want of seed is, however, fully compensated 

 by the multiplication of the roots. It is suffi- 

 ciently hardy to bear uninjured the severest 

 winters of England ; but it is liable sometimes 

 to be attacked by insects. This evil is found to 

 be surely prevented when the bulbs are planted 



