352 



THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 



6 in. asunder. Between the rows 

 Lettuces are planted, and these, 

 being of quick growth, are removed 

 long before they can in any way 

 injure the Leeks. The next sowing, 

 which takes place about the end of 

 February, is made out-of-doors in 

 beds, and when large enough the 

 plants are put out, in a similar man- 

 ner to the former sowing, in heavily 

 manured, deeply dug soil. Another 

 sowing is made six or eight weeks 

 later, and the last one generally 

 about the first week in May. In all 

 cases drills are drawn to a depth of 

 4 or 5 in., in which the plants 

 are put. These in some measure 

 protect the plants in the early stages 

 of their growth, and serve as re- 

 ceptacles for water. The frequent 

 hoeing of the ground, which is con- 

 sidered a very important matter, fills 

 in the drills and blanches the necks 

 of the Leeks — one of the main things 

 to be considered in their culture. 

 During dry weather abundance of 

 water is applied, and some growers, 

 after taking a crop of Lettuce from 

 between the rows, heavily mulch the 

 ground with manure. The produce 

 from the first sowing is ready for 

 market by the beginning of August, 

 when it is quickly removed and the 

 vacant ground cropped with other 

 vegetables. The latest sowing keeps 

 up a constant supply of Leeks far 

 into the winter, when they are most 

 in request. The fine qualities of 

 this vegetable are much better 

 known to the Welsh, Scotch, and 

 French than to the English or Irish. 



A good mode of growing fine 

 Leeks is to form trenches for them 

 in the same way as for Celery, 

 though not so wide — 9 or 12 in. 

 being quite sufficient. Fill each 

 trench at the bottom with about 

 6 in. of well-rotted, rich, light 

 manure ; surface this with a few 

 inches of soil, and leave the top from 



6 to 12 in. deep. Plant the Leeks 

 out of the seed drills or beds 

 into the trench in dull, showery 

 weather, taking care to preserve all 

 their roots. This will be found a 

 most convenient method to allow of 

 the easy application of water and 

 manure ; see that the plants are 

 kept clear of weeds. As they ad- 

 vance in growth fill in the earth a 

 little at a time ; this will refresh 

 and stimulate the plants. By the 

 end of the season the trench will be 

 level with the surface or probably 

 converted into a slight ridge on 

 either side of the Leeks, which will 

 be from 12 to 18 in. long, tho- 

 roughly blanched, and of the finest 

 quahty. Leeks are sometimes planted 

 with a dibble in newly dug, highly 

 manured ground in the same way 

 as Cauliflowers or Cabbage-plants, 

 and simply left to shift for them- 

 selves. 



Another method of planting is 

 that adopted for setting Potatoes 

 with spade and line. The ground 

 is dug and manured in the autumn, 

 and again dug early in April. 

 When I ft. or more is dug, set the 

 line against the work and cut it 

 down straight with the spade : then 

 plant the Leeks carefully against the 

 straight cut along the face of the 

 dug ground, spreading out the roots 

 and covering them with some of the 

 fine soil already cut down ; dig 

 another foot of ground — taking care 

 not to bury the Leeks too deeply — 

 and proceed to plant another row, 

 and so on until all are completed ; 

 by this mode the plants will have a 

 fresh, soft, untrodden root-run in 

 which to start, and often thrive re- 

 markably well. The subsequent 

 management consists in merely keep- 

 ing the surface clear of weeds, and 

 in copiously watering should the 

 weather prove dry. This style of 

 planting is termed " digging in." 



