456 THE GARDENER’S ASSISTANT. 
_ 4, They may be planted on the surface by the 
dibber quite as deep in the ground as they pre- 
viously were, and be so allowed to grow, and as 
they advance in growth they may be gradually 
earthed up. 
In shallow soils, or where there is a damp 
subsoil, it will be advisable to adopt the last 
method; but where the contrary is the case the 
largest and best-blanched stems are obtained 
by the other methods, and of these the second 
is, in our opinion, the simplest and best. 
Another method is to plant them 9 inches 
apart, in rows from 12 to 18 inches asunder, 
according to the richness of the soil and the | 
variety. Water should be given at planting, | 
and moderately afterwards. With the exception 
of loosening the soil with the hoe, and drawing 
earth to the stems, where that method is 
adopted, nothing further is required. In Sep- 
tember the Leeks will be fit for use, and will 
continue so throughout the winter and spring 
—those of the late sowing till the end of April. 
Any then remaining may be taken up and 
planted close together, but not touching each 
other, in deep trenches, in a cool situation, in 
order to prevent them from running to stalk. 
With the same view the bottom from which 
the roots proceed may be cut off, and the Leeks 
kept in a cool cellar. 
In order to obtain seeds, some of the largest | 
and most vigorous plants should be taken up in 
March and planted in a warm sheltered situa- 
tion. The seeds ripen in autumn, the heads 
changing to a brown colour. They keep best 
in the heads, and these should be cut off with 
a portion of the stalk a foot long, tied in| 
bunches, and hung up in a dry airy shed. In | 
this way the seeds will retain their vegetative 
power for two or three years; after that time 
they are not to be depended on. 
The best varieties are :— 
Ayton Castle Giant.—Leaves moderately broad; stem 
long and stout, blanching well. 
Large Rouen.—Leaves dark-green, broad, thick. Stem 
short, thick. Said to grow as thick as a man’s arm in the 
soil and climate of Normandy. Much cultivated near 
Paris, and since its introduction to this country it has 
been much approved. 
London Flag.—Tall, with a thick stem; leaves broad; 
generally cultivated. 
Musselburgh (Scotch Flag).—Very large and hardy; 
leaves broad and tall; stems long and thick. 
Prizetaker.—Stems of this have been grown a foot long 
and 5 inches in diameter. They are solid, pure white, 
and of mild agreeable flavour. 
Royal Favourite—Raised at Frogmore. Remarkable 
for its broad leaves and large pure-white stems, which 
are solid and straight. <A first-rate exhibition sort. 
Small Early Netherlands.—Leaves long, narrow, dark- 
green; stem small. Not so well adapted for a main crop, 
being apt to run to seed before winter. A small sowing 
of it may, however, be made for early use. 
The Lyon.—One of the largest and most popular for 
exhibition. Blanches well, and is of mild flavour. 
Yellow Poitou.—Very large, leaves 5 feet in length and 
upwards of 6 inches wide. The underground or blanched 
part of the stem is yellowish-white, and when boiled is 
tenderer than any other variety. Preferred at Paris for 
forwarding on a hot-bed. 
Lentil (Lrvum Lens) (fig. 1212).— An annual, 
native of South Europe. Largely cultivated near 
Fig. 1212.—Lentil. 
Paris, both in fields and gardens, for the seeds, 
which are much used in cookery. It is one of 
the most nutritious of the. pulses; and if good, 
freed from the outer skin, and cooked till soft, 
is a good remedy for indigestion. Revalenta 
arabica is, or should be, made from the meal of 
the seeds. It prefers a light, warm, dry soil; 
if planted in one that is rich it grows vigorously, 
but produces only a smally quantity of seeds. 
It should be sown-in March or early in April, 
in drills 20 inches asunder. 
' When the stems begin to turn yellow, and 
the pods assume a darker colour, the plants are 
t 
