ALL 



is retained itiltcI)' for vaiicty, wliicli may be coiuimuJ by 

 fuckers riling fioia tlie old roots. 



Propiignfion, Cii/ture, life. The common kxk ii mifcd 

 annually from Iced fowii in tlic Spring; the proper time, 

 for the general crop for Autumn and \\ inter lu'e, is the iamo 

 ■ as that recommended for tiie onion, as from the Iwentitth 

 of FcbrnHry to the end of March ; but for later crops to 

 (land for Spring uic, arvy time in Apill may anfwcr, or for 

 a fmall crop to (Innd as late in the following Spring; as pof- 

 fible, without running to feed, the begimiing of May. 



It is a conmion pradtice from the notion of making the 

 nioft of the ground, to fow leeki along with the crops of 

 onions ; which thould not by any means be recommended, 

 as experience has fliewn it to be confideral>ly the belt culture 

 to keep them feparate. It is often praCtilVd by tiie market 

 gardeners, when intending to cull out the onions from time 

 to time for market ; fo that by a daily thinning, they are 

 moftly all cleared off by the end of July ; and thofe being 

 gone, the fame ground remains occupied by a CTop of leeks. 

 This method ea.not be praitiled to equal advantage in the 

 main crops of onions that are to Hand to grow to full fize 

 for keeping. The befl: culture, therefore, for the general 

 crops of leeks, is to fow them pretty thick in a fpot by 

 themfelves to be afterwards traniplanted, either wholly or 

 the greater part thinned out regularly and planted ; the 

 others being left at good diilances for full growth, and the 

 fame lituation, foil, and metliod of fowing are to be adopted 

 as direfted tor the onion. In June, July, and Auguil, the 

 plants will be of a proper lize for tranl'planting ; in doing 

 which make choice of an open fpot of the btft ground ; if 

 dunged it will be of much advantage, digging in the dung 

 one fpade deep ; then drawing a parcel of the larcrcll leeks, 

 and trimming their tops and the extreme parts of their root- 

 fibres, proceed to plant them by line and clibber in rows, 

 ■which for the early crop lliould be twelve inches diltant, and 

 eight or nine inches apart in each row ; and for better crops 

 nine inches between the rows and fix the other way, putting 

 them three or four inches in the ground, or nearly to the 

 length of their necks, and watering them immediately. 

 The only culture they require afterwards is to be kept clear 

 from weeds, which may be done either by hand-weeding, 

 or more expeditioully by applying a fharp hoe in a dry 

 feafon. 



The leeks thus cultivated are generally finer than tliofe 

 that remain where fown, their necks, which is the principal 

 efculent part, are much longer, and all the part within the 

 earth is finely whitened and rendered mild and tender, which 

 is a dcfirable property in this plant. However, when it is 

 intended to raife a crop of leeks in good perfeclion, to re- 

 main where fown till their fuU growth, the feed Ihould be 

 *• fown much thinner ; and when the plants are fomewhat ad- 

 vanced, as in June or July, they fliould be regularly thinned 

 to about ten or twelve inches diftance ; thofe thinned out 

 being planted in another compartment of the garden. The 

 remaining plants v/iU by this means attain a larger and thicker 

 growth belov.', with large fpreading tops of thick flefuy 

 leaves. 



This is a valnable family plant from Autumn till Spring, 

 for foups, broth, &c. and for boiling the neck part and top 

 leaves together, to ule as greens, in the manner of coleworts, 

 &c. to cat with fielh-meat. It is in perfeftion from Sep- 

 tember till May, when it (lioots up to (talk for feeding. 



In order to fave the feed of this plant, a quantity of the 

 flneft plants (hould be traniplanted in February into a (liel- 

 tered funny bed or under a fouth wall, paling hedge, or other 

 fcuce. This is moftly necelTary, as the feeds ripen late in 



ALL 



the Autumn, «nd unlcfsaniilcd by fuch fituation and (hclter, 

 fcldom ripen freely in this climate. In lhi» view it would be 

 of particular advantage to plant fomc in a ri>w dofe under a 

 foui!i fence, at ten or tweUe inches dillance, tlity will tlitn 

 flioot up their ilalki confiderably in May ; and in June attain 

 two or three feet in heiglil, wiieii lliey Ibould be fiippoi led, 

 and ciiitinucd in an upright growth, in July the flov.eis 

 protrude from their flieath at the fnnimit of each ilalk, anil 

 form a large globular head ; and in September the feeds 

 begin to ripen. After this is efteCled, cut the h.-.ids with 

 part of the il:dk and lie them in fn.all bunches, hanging 

 them acrofs lines in a dry airy apartment, two or three 

 months, when the feed will be hardened, and the caplults 

 readily break by threfhingor rubbing, and thus difcharge it 

 more readily fron\ the cells in which it is lodged. 



Allium, liidelic niul mcJicol qncJitirs of ftvcral fpecia of. 

 The culinary- iifes of fevei-al fpecies of the allium are well 

 known ; «iid it is neediefs p.'uticularly to defcribe them. 

 They are refeiied by Dr. CuUen to a particular head under 

 the title of ylU'iacca; and he conliders them more as condi- 

 ments than as aliments. Of this order the leek and onion 

 are moil commonly employed with the hill intention, and 

 they afford a large proportion of alimentary matter. Ih 

 their boiled Hate, when their acrimony is exhaled, they 

 manifcft, with fome Iweetnefs, a large proportion of mu- 

 cilaginous matter ; and even in their recent llate, and efpe- 

 cially when young, their acrimony is not fo llrong as to 

 prevent their being ufed among the lower clalfes as a conii- 

 derable part of their food. But by ^hofe of fuperior rank, 

 it is the onion only that is taken in its young and recent 

 ftate ; but hardly in larger quantity than may be regarded 

 as a condiment. Deprived, however, of their acrimony by 

 boiling or roalling, they are ufed by perfons of eveiy con- 

 dition more freely. Neverthelefs it is fo diflieult to depriva 

 them entirely of all peculiar talle, that many perfoiis, from 

 a particular idiofyncracy cannot bear them even in a boiled 

 ftate. The garlic, njaimbok anAjhal/ot contain alfo alimen- 

 tary matter; and when the garlick in certain warmer climates 

 is produced with lefs acrimony than it> is with us, and of 

 courfe is much milder both in fmell and talle, it is more 

 frequently and more largely employed as a part of diet- 

 As cinidiments, t^iofe of the milder kind, more efpccialK" 

 when deprived of their acrimony, are very fafe and proper j 

 and even the more acrid, as garlick, which is alinoit folely 

 employed as a condiment, lervcs, if the odour and tails 

 can be admitted, to ilimulate the ilon.ach xtvy powerfully» 

 and to promote digeftion. As promoting peifpiration and 

 urine, all thefc vegetables are properly joined vviih our ani- 

 irud food, and may alfo be juftly reckoned among the anti- 

 fcorbutics. In the eaftern nations, amongll the Jews, ancient 

 and modern, and alfo in Ruilui, Hungai-y, Spain, ancL 

 France, the fcveral fpecies above cniunerated, have been freely 

 ufed. both as alimeiitc- and condiments. In Egypt, onions 

 have been from time iminemoiial a part of thiir conftant 

 food ; they arc fweet and fofl, and ufed in their foup, and 

 roafted with tlieir meat, fo as to make a uiih, culled by lliu 

 Turks kebak, of which they are ver)- fond. Onion, and 

 particulatly garlick, which is more powerful ia its effe(£ls» 

 by llimulating the rtomach favour digeition ; and as thia 

 lUmulus is more readily and quickly dlifuled through the 

 whole fyllein than that of alinolt any other known fub- 

 llance, they may be confidcred as ufelul condiments, with 

 llie food of piilegniatic people, or thole wliolc circulation is 

 languid, and fecretions intenupted j )jut for thole who are 

 fubjeft to infiammatoi'y complaints, or where great irrita- 

 bility prevails, thefe roots, cfgccially iu iheir acrid 1latc» 

 3 »-I 



