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As Icek-fceJ ii fiiuilar in its nature it may be lrli;d by the 

 fame means. 



Ciboiile or fl'eljh onion. This is a perennial plant, which 

 never forms any bulb at bottom ; therefore dcltrves to be 

 cultivated only to be drawn aa young green oniono for fallads, 

 &c. in Spring ; but on account of its ftrong tallc it is greatly 

 inferior to thofe of the common onion. From the plants 

 being fo extremely hnrdy as to furvlvc the fevcreil Winter, in 

 which though their blades be cut off, the roots rem.-iin found 

 and flioot forth with gnat vigour early in Spii ig, furnifhing 

 fenfonable fupplies till May, when they generally run to feed ; 

 from this fingnlar hardinefs they may be cultivated more or 

 lefs as a wiiaer-ftanding crop, with advantage, for Spring 

 nfe. 



They are perennial in root w+iich incrcafe by ofT-tets into 



riey are per 

 clntlers, b 



great clutters, but not to be propagated thereby for general 

 nfe, but by feed, the fame as the fomicr forts of onion. 

 The beil feafon for fowing them is A\iguil, in the manner 

 of the Autumn onion crops. 



The plants moilly appear in tvehe or fifteen days after 

 h;ing fown, and towards Michachnas (liould be carefully 

 hand-weeded. It is a peculiarity in this fpecies of onion to 

 lofe their tops in November or December, and remain di- 

 verted thereof till towards Candlemas, when the roots fhoot 

 forth again ; at that period it is proper to dig the alleys, and 

 fpread about an inch depth of the earth evenly over the 

 furfaee of the beds, by which vigour is given to the roots, 

 Rnd the plants are made to rife ftrong, and at the lame time 

 tiie part vithin the eaith blanched white and rendered more 

 tender and mild for eating as well as more agreeable. Where 

 the fowing of a Michaelmas crop has been oniitted, fome 

 have fown feed towards the end of January, when the 

 plants will rife in February or March, and being hardy, con- 

 tmue growing, and be fit for drawing in the early Spring. In 

 ■order to fave plenty of feed of this fpecies of onion, it is 

 riccelfary to retain fome plants for ilools. In the end of 

 March a parcel of ftrong young plants may be put out nine 

 inches dillant, which produce feed in Auguft. If the roots 

 be let remain in the following years they produce treble the 

 quantity ; but as they increafe into great bunches, the ftools 

 ftiould be removed and feparated every fccond or third 

 year. 



Cives or Chives. This is the fmalleft. of all the onion kind, 

 riling but a few inches high ; but its roots are perennial, and 

 increafe confiderably into cluftcrs, from which laro-e tults of 

 flcnder awl-lhaped leaves iflTue, which are the principal part 

 ufcd, the roots never forming any bulb, at leall not bigger 

 than fmall peas. This is a hardy plait which merits a place 

 in ever)' garden ; its clufters of leaves rife early in Spring, 

 and are ufeful both in fallads and for culinary purpofes, in 

 default of onions. The method of gathering it is to cut 

 the leaves off near the ground, by which a frefli fupply is 

 foon produced from the bottom ; or occafionally the plants 

 in clufters may be flipped quite to the root in feparate little 

 plants, refembhng young onions, and ufcd as fubftitutes for 

 them. It is eafily incrcafed by dividing the roots in Spring, 

 and planting eight or ten of them together in holes at fix 

 inches diftance ; in this way by Autumn they will multiply 

 into bunches of a large fize. 



Efcalot, or Shallot. This is a fpecies of onion which is 

 fculbous-rooted, and which increafes greatly by off-fets, the 

 largeft of which are the proper parts of the plant for ufc. 

 The bulbs are oblong, irregular, and feldom grow large ; as 

 they generally increafe into clufters they do not fwell like 

 roots that grow fingly. From the roots are produced many 

 loa^ narrow, isiirm leaves in the Spring, and which wither 



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in J'jly or Augiift, when the roots are full grown ; they 

 are then taken up, made dry and houfcd, when they keep 

 in good perfeftion till th.e foUov/ing Spring. 



In the propagation of this plant the fmaller roots or ofT- 

 fets are the belt ; thefe may be planted oat in Autumn or 

 early in Spring : the end of Oclober, or hegiiming of No- 

 vember, for the Autumn planting, and Februan' and March 

 for that of the Spring, but not later than the beginning of 

 April. The Spring is the moft general feafon of planting 

 them, but when planted in Autumn, in a dry light foil, they 

 often grow larger, and fooner attain full growth the foIlowii;g 

 Summer ; they are to be planted in beds four feet wide, in 

 rows length-ways, the beds fix inches afunder ; each ofi'-fct 

 inferted fingly, either by means of a dibble or placed in 

 drills not more than two or three inches deep ; and the dif- 

 tance as above in each row. They fiioot up in leaves in 

 March or April, and the roots increafe in growth till July or 

 Auguft. The only culture which they require is that of 

 keeping them clean from weeds, by cccafional hand weeding 

 or hoeing. Towards the end of July or beginning of Auguft 

 the bulbs will have attained their full growth,'as is feen by the 

 withering of the leaves. They fhould then be taken up in 

 a dry day, and fpread in the fun to harden ; the largeft, 

 cleaned and houfcd for ufe, and the fmaller off-fets refcrved 

 for propagation. 



As iballots are fometimes required early in the Summ.er 

 time tor immediate ufe, in fuch cafes as they vvill have 

 formed fmall bulbs towards the latter end of May or in 

 June, a few may occafionally be taken up for prefer.t 

 fupply ; permitting a principal crop to remain in order to 

 attain their full growth. 



Catmda or Tree Onion. This deferves to be cultivated 

 both as a curiofity in producing the onion at top of the 

 ftalk ; and for the ufe of the onions, cfpecially for pickling, 

 in which they are excellent and fuperior in flavour to the 

 common onion. It is perennial, and propagated bv planting 

 the bulbs in Spring or Autumn, either the root bulbs, or 

 thofe produced on the top of the ftalk, being planted in a 

 bed or beds of any good earth, in rows a foot afunder, fiK 

 inches diftance in each row, and two or three inches deep ; 

 they (hoot up leaves and ftalks in the Spring and Summer, 

 and produce the bulbs for ufe in July or Auguft ; and the 

 root-bulb remaining, furnifh a produftion of top bulbs, 

 annually in that feafon ; the root-bulb increafing by off- ' 

 fets, may be taken Hp occaiionally at the time the ftem 

 decays, in Autumn ; or once in two or three years, in 

 order to feparate the off-fets and replant them when nc- 

 celfarv'. 



The leek is the third divifion of the genus, the general 

 characters of which are the fame as thofe before defcribed, 

 and the fpecies and varieties are the Pornim or common leek ; 

 which may be fa'id to be an annual-biennial plant, for although 

 the roots often furvive, after perfetling feeds, yet the plants 

 always attain pcrfeflion the fame year they are fown, and 

 the year afterwards run up to flalk and become imfit for ufe. 

 The feed-ftalk of this plant does not belly like that of the 

 onion. 



The beft of the varieties of this plant for general culture, 

 is the broad-leaved or London leek, which attains a large 

 growth, theneck acq\uring a thick fubftance, in length from 

 fix to nine or ten inches, dividing upwards into many large, 

 long, thick leaves, arranging themfelves in fomewhat a fan- 

 fliapc. 



The narrow -leaved leek rims up with a long thin neck, 

 and narrow thin ftraggling leaves, which, as a degenerate 

 variety, does nut deferve culture; and the ftriped-leaved kind 



is 



