46 



CULINARY OR KITCHEN GARDEN. 



ing a gauge as to the equality of the depth 

 of each hole. The old and barbarous 

 system long recorded in books, and prac- 

 tised by even the best gardeners, of cut- 

 ting off a portion of the tops of the leaves, 

 should be disregarded; and the curtail- 

 ments of the roots, long held as a benefi- 

 cial process, should be looked upon as an 

 act of wanton madness. This is the usual 

 mode of planting. A much better way 

 is to stretch the line from end to end of 

 the field, and, with a spade, to take out a 

 trench a foot at least in depth, leaving 

 the back of the trench immediately under 

 the line as nearly perpendicular as pos- 

 sible. Along this trench set the plants, 

 resting against the solid ground, placing 

 their roots with the ball of manure around 

 them in the bottom, and filling in the 

 earth taken out of the trench carefully 

 around them — taking care, however, not 

 to let it reach so high as to cover the 

 hearts of the plants. Water at the time 

 of planting, if the soil be not already too 

 damp, in which state it would be better 

 to delay planting till it dry. However, 

 by this drill mode of planting this crop, 

 as well as most others, the ground is 

 left quite open and loose, as the operator 

 is always standing on the ground that 

 is to be loosened up in the formation of 

 the next drill. One sowing is, in general, 

 sufficient for private families in Scotland ; 

 but in the south, where vegetation is so 

 much more rapid, a second, or even a 

 third sowing, may be found of advantage 

 for continuing the crop till late in spring. 

 Our own practice is to sow once, and, in 

 the beginning of March, to dig up the 

 crop, and lay it over in a cool shady place, 

 covering the stems as high as they are 

 blanched — a plan we have found much 

 more suitable than that of sowing on heat 

 for the early and main crop, and after- 

 wards in April or May for late crops. 

 Indeed, we have frequently found those 

 sown in May run to seed at the very time 

 those sown in February did. The only 

 inducement for making successional sow- 

 ings is, that some French cooks require 

 them of a small size ; and, to meet such 

 demands, successional sowings should be 

 made from February till July. Some 

 plant in open trenches, after the manner 

 of celery, and earth the plants as they 

 proceed. 



Subsequent cultivation. — The subsequent 



management consists in drawing a little 

 earth to the stems as they elongate, keep- 

 ing the ground clear of weeds, repeatedly 

 stirring the surface between the rows, and 

 of all things avoiding the practice of 

 cropping the leaves— an old and nearly 

 obsolete mode — which, however, has been 

 recently recommended, with a view, it is 

 asserted, of increasing the size of the 

 stems. 



Soil and Manures. — The soil, from what 

 we have already stated, cannot be over 

 rich, nor, indeed, need the manure be 

 at all so decomposed as for onions. We 

 believe the leek would luxuriate well on 

 the top of a dunghill. It is important, 

 however, that the ground be deeply 

 trenched, and also that the manure be 

 nearly as deeply buried ; for as the roots 

 are from one to two feet or more under 

 the surface, so also should the manure be. 

 Deep alluvial soils, if dry at bottom, are 

 excellent for the leek ; and next, those 

 that are of a deep rich loamy nature : 

 light shallow ones are the worst of all. In 

 these latter, the plants should be set on 

 the surface upon a bed of rich manure, 

 and earthed up as they proceed, as is 

 practised with celery. 



Forcing. — The leek is never forced be- 

 yond the slight extent noticed above, to 

 forward them for final planting. 



Taking the crop, and subsequent preserva- 

 tion. — The crop is left in the ground till 

 wanted for use. It is expedient, how- 

 ever, upon the appearance of frost, to 

 take up a quantity to be laid in soil or 

 sand in the root cellar, or other place of 

 shelter, so as to be conveniently got at 

 when wanted for use. 



Approved sorts and their qualities. — The seed- 

 lists contain several names of sorts : of these, 

 the Large Flag, London Flag, English Flag may- 

 be considered as identical. The Musselburgh is 

 an early improvement on the Scotch Flag; and 

 what is now called the Edinburgh Improved, ap- 

 pears to be only selected from the Musselburgh 

 stock. The Dutch Flag, Erfurt, and Rouen, 

 seem, as they are at present growing in alter- 

 nate rows in the Dalkeith gardens, to be in no- 

 wise different from each other. They appear, 

 however, to be disposed to attain a greater 

 growth than any of the others. There is a sort 

 of Allium grown in Pembrokeshire, and along 

 the Welsh borders, called the hollow leek, pro- 

 ducing roots in clusters like shallots. It is, 

 however, scarcely worth the notice of the modern 

 horticulturist, in the presence of so many sorts 

 that are superior. 



Saving of seed. — In saving seed, some of 



