ALLIACEOUS PLANTS.— THE LEEK. 



45 



food is scarce. It is easily cultivated and ex- 

 tremely hardy. The medicinal and dietary pro- 

 perties of the leek are similar to those of the 

 onion, only in a milder degree. 



Mode of propagation. — Leeks are pro- 

 pagated by seed sown for ordinary pur- 

 poses at the same time as onions. Bulk 

 of plant, in the case of the leek, being a 

 primary object — and transplanting tends 

 greatly to insure this — the seed is sown 

 pretty thickly on a bed, and when of suf- 

 ficient size, the plants are removed to 

 where they are to come to perfection. 

 Those who have not the convenience of a 

 hotbed should sow the seed early in Feb- 

 ruary, in as warm a spot as is at their 

 disposal. Where, however, it is wished 

 to have the leek in its fullest perfection, 

 the seed should be sown thinly on a mild 

 hotbed, such as of leaves in a state of fer- 

 mentation, a material within the reach of 

 most ; while those near a tanyard may 

 employ bark, or those in the vicinity of 

 flax-mills the refuse flax — either of which, 

 put up in the form of a cucumber-bed, 

 will afford a mild and lasting heat. With- 

 out a glass frame, the purpose may be 

 served by an occasional covering of tar- 

 pauling during frosty nights or heavy 

 rains. Slight excitement only is required. 

 The seed should be sown of a uniform 

 thickness on rich compost, and covered to 

 about the depth of a quarter of an inch, 

 half an ounce being sufficient for a bed 2 

 feet by 4, and so in like proportion for 

 beds of larger size. Keep them clear of 

 weeds, and water with tepid water occa- 

 sionally until fit for transplanting. One 

 ounce of seed contains 2924. 



Sowing and planting. — Sowing in the 

 open ground may be performed from the 

 beginning of February till the middle of 

 April, the exact time depending entirely 

 on the state of the weather and the con- 

 dition of the soil. The earlier, however, 

 the seed is sown the better, that the 

 plants may attain a good size before final 

 transplanting. If sown in beds of 4 feet 

 in breadth, and in the broadcast manner, 

 the same process should be followed as 

 recommended for onions grown in that 

 way. If sown as advised above, and which 

 is much the best way, as soon as the 

 young plants are of the height of 3 inches 

 they should be carefully taken up, loosen- 

 ing the soil in the bed so that none of the 

 fibres may be in the least injured. They 



VOL. II. 



should then be transplanted into another 

 preparatory bed, having the same advan- 

 tages of heat, &c, as the first; but on 

 this the heating material should be 

 covered with completely rotten manure 

 to the depth of 4 inches, and the plants 

 set in it at the distance of 3 inches apart 

 each way. This is to encourage their 

 growth. When they have attained the 

 height of 6 inches, another bed of equally 

 rotten manure should be prepared for 

 them, placed on the surface of the ground 

 in a warm sheltered spot, but without 

 bottom heat, and the plants a second 

 time removed, with all their fibres entire, 

 and planted in it at the distance of 6 

 inches apart each way; for here they are 

 to remain till the season of final trans- 

 planting arrives, which will be from the 

 beginning to the middle or end of May. 

 The plants, having thus plenty of room, 

 will attain the size of 9 inches or a foot, 

 and be of goodly size of stem, which will 

 be promoted by frequently watering them 

 with liquid manure. Few people pay 

 this attention to them, but transplant 

 them at once from the seed-bed to where 

 they are to grow to full size. In this 

 they lose much, both in the size and 

 delicacy of the produce, as the more ra- 

 pidly all esculent plants are grown, the 

 more tender they are. The ground being- 

 prepared for them, they are to be set in 

 lines 18 inches apart, and the plants 10 

 inches from each other in the line — that 

 is, if the largest size be wished for ; other- 

 wise, 12 inches by 7 will be sufficient. 

 In planting, the dibber used should be 

 3^ inches in diameter, obtuse at the 

 point ; but, if nearly cylindrical in form, 

 so much the better, that the roots may 

 have room in the bottom of the hole. 

 The plants being taken carefully up, 

 with as much of the rotten manure at- 

 tached to them as possible, and carried 

 to the spot on a shallow wooden tray, 

 they are to be dropped carefully into each 

 hole as it is made, and no soil what- 

 ever placed over them, as the rains and 

 occasional waterings — probably one at 

 the time of planting — will wash down 

 sufficient to cover the roots to the extent 

 required. The object of this large hole 

 is, to allow the stem to swell out in 

 size, without being compressed by the sur- 

 rounding soil. The dibber should have 

 a cross piece of wood fastened to it, form- 



G 



