64 



PRACTICE OF GAEDENING. 



flavour, though both the bulbs and leaves are much 

 stronger flavoured than onions. They may be taken up in 

 the autumn, when the leaves are decayed, and preserved 

 as onions. 



Potato onions are planted with the bulbs half covered, 

 in December or January, in good rich soil, a foot apart 

 every way, earthing up as they advance in growth. They 

 are dug up in July ; are very productive ; and as good as 

 the Spanish kind. 



3. — Leeks. 



Leeks are similar to onions in quality, but are preferred 

 for broths and other soups, and are nutritive and whole- 

 some. 



The soil requires to be rich, but not freshly manured,, 

 and the situation exposed. The time for sowing is early 

 in March, and again at the end of April ; the London tall, 

 or the Musselburgh flag, being the best sorts. 



Sow thinly broadcast, or in shallow drills, eight inches 

 apart, aftei^wards carefully weeding and thinning out the 

 plants to three or four inches apart. 



For a bed four feet broad, and twelve feet long, an 

 ounce of seed will be enough. 



About the middle of June, or early in July, in a fresh 

 piece of ground, hoe drills fifteen inches apart, and from 

 four to six inches deep, into which transplant the leeks, 

 when the size of swan's quills, from the seed bed, with a 

 dibble, six inches apart, leaving the drills open till the 

 plants grow, and pushing only a little light earth into the 

 holes in which they are planted ; when they commence 

 growing, the drills are to be gradually filled, and the earth 

 hoed up to the stems. If the weather be dry, give them 

 an abnndance of water, which may frequently be repeated 

 if required. Gardeners generally use a dibble rather 

 larger than usual for planting leeks, and make the holes 

 very firm on all sides, by pressing the dibble against them, 

 or turning it frequently round. These holes beiug ulti- 

 mately filled with fine soil, it is considered that the leeks 

 will expand in them to nearly the full size of the holes. 



The practice of earthing up blanches the leeks, by keep- 

 ing the light from the roots, and renders them milder. 

 Planted in a level bed without hoeing, they are green, and 



