Aphil 20, 1912 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE, 



323 



LEEKS. 



The leek (Allium porrum) is said to have 

 been ciiltivate<l in this couiiti'v prior to 

 lo(j2. It is a hardy biennial plant, thought 

 to l>e a native of Switzerland, and intro- 

 duced into this country about the middle 

 of the sixteenth century. There is no 

 doubt that one would have some diflBculty 

 in naming many more useful vegetables 

 than the leek. The utility of this escu- 

 lent, boiled, stewed, or in soup, is not at 

 all under-estimated by the Welsh and 



but in the South it is not so 



If leeks are boiled, and 



Scotch ; 



highly esteemed, 

 the first water thrown away just before 

 they are quite cooked, they are rendered as 

 mild as a Spanish onion. Boiled in salt 

 and water until they are tender, and eaten 



with melted butter, like asparagus or 

 kale, the Avater being changed Avhen the 

 leeks are half-cooked, the leek is a most 

 excellent vegetable. When used in soup, 

 leeks should be boiled, cu.t into two-inch 

 lengths, and used plentifully* by stewing 

 them afterwards with the soup itself. 



In the districts around Edinburgh the 

 leek is cultivated on a comparatively large 

 scale. It is said that, of all vegetables 

 grown for market, leeks have the principal 

 claim on the Edinburgh market gardener s 

 attention, as the season commences at the 

 end of August, and continues until May- 

 eight clear months wuthout intermission. 

 There is no need to w^onder, therefore, why 

 every effort is put forth to keep up a con- 

 tinuous supply. In fact, it was once re- 

 marked by a Scottish writer that leeks are 

 the only vegetable that the foreigners^ — - 

 Englishmen and Irishmen as w^ell — left 

 them to have the pleasure to supply, as 

 none came from beyond their own country 

 to their markets. 



To the shopkeeper leeks are useful, for 

 they present an admirable appearance for 

 shop display, especially when extra fine, 

 long, even, and well-blanched stems can 

 he securetl. For market purposes leeks 

 are almost invariably bunched , the size 

 of the bundle varying according to the 

 demand. It is also customary to make up 

 large bunches of second-grade produce, 

 somewhat after the style of the large car- 

 rot bunch, w^ith a slightly spreading base; 

 these bunches are tied with soft willows. 

 Leeks are decidedly one of the most profit- 

 able crops that the market gardener can 

 turn his attention to. When grow^n under 

 an intensive system of culture, they usually 

 average from between 1^ to 2 or 31b. per 

 root, and are of excellent quality. Such 

 leeks as these find a ready ^ale, wholesale, 

 at about 6d. per dozen, and would pro- 

 bably fetch more if sent to distant 

 markets. 



To cultivate leeks successfully, a light, 

 rich soil and an open situation are prefer- 

 able. Where it is desired to seciu'e first- 

 ^'Jass specimens, such as would be worthy 

 of a prize if exhibited, the plan usually 

 adopted is to take out a trench, after the 

 fashion of preparing the ground for celery. 

 I his trench need not be more than two 

 leet deep and ahout 18in. wide for a single 

 row of leeks, and sufficient nourishment 

 oan be provided by forking in a liberal 

 supply of well-decomposed farmyard man- 

 ure with the lx)ttom spit. Of course, ex- 

 nibition culture will entail a certain amount 

 ol extra care and attejition. but the 



ordniary cultivation of the leek is most 

 sunple. 



Leeks are sown during the first or second 

 peek m March for ordinary purposes, and 

 tne seed-bed should be well enriched with 

 plant toml, and fully exposed in a warm, 

 J>P^'i situation. Further, care must be 

 Taken not to make the sowings too thick, 

 the plants Avill grow much better and 



stronger if they are given plenty of room 

 during their early stages of growth. Where 

 plants are required for exhibition pui'poses 

 sowings should be made from the middle 

 to the end of January, and before planting 

 out the bottom of the trench should be 

 forked up, and a portion of the better soil 

 removed in making the trench spread over 

 it, the w hole being trodden down firm when 

 dry. To secure the best individual speci- 

 mens, some growers prefer to excavate 

 square-bottomed trenches; while another 

 plan is to bore large holes in the ground 

 with a dibble, inserting the plants therein, 

 and filling up the whole with some specially 

 prepared compost. 



For exhibition purposes leeks are gene- 

 rally blancheil by means of stout brown- 

 paper collars placed around each stem. 

 These can l>e purchased, or a useful sub- 

 stitute can be found in the cardl>oard tubes 

 used for despatching plans, etc., through 

 tlie post. The latter can be cut to any 

 length required, and allow the stem and 

 upper leaves of the plant to remain free. 

 As the plant increases in length, the soil 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



PETER BAixn .ME:\[oiaAL eup. 



Presented to the lU'V. G. H. En^'-lolioart, V.M.H,, 



the Jt.H.S. J)i»ff£Klii Show uu Tm.Mlay. 



at 



should be carefully drawn up around the 

 base, and the paper collar raistnl. Leeks 

 will usually l^e fully ))lan(lied by the middle 

 of July, but the stems will subsequently 

 continue to increase in diameter. 



Liquid manure is largely useil in the 

 production of exhibition leeks, but if this 

 is not available its place can wf^ll l)e taken 

 by any of the well-known fertilisiiijj; com- 

 pounds on the market. If ordinary liquid 

 manure from a stable or farmyard is use<l, 

 it must be diluted with at least five parts 

 of water, and should not be given more 

 than twice a week during the growmg 

 period. Where intended for marketmg 

 purix)ses, the stems cannot very well be 

 too long or too thit^k, for the gross bulk 

 of blanchecl portion is the most e<lible part 

 of the vegetable. J. C. Newsham. 



Old Basing. 



CREEN- 



CONSERVATORY AND 



HOUSE. 



CHIIY?S.1]S^THEMUMS.— Plants intended 

 lor the production of hig blooms will now 



be ready for a shift into 6-iuch pots. Tlie 

 compost for cJirysanthenuims should be at 

 all times of the very best quality, and t^hould 

 consist at this }K>'ttiug of two jiarts fibrous 

 loam, one part decayed farmyard manure, a 

 sprinkling of t>(K)t, a 32-pot "^full of M'ood 

 aishes to each barrow-load of compost, and 

 plenty of coar^^e sand, the whole being 

 passed througli a coarse (sieve. The j)lants 

 should be watered a con])le of hours before 

 they are repotted to ensure tJie soil being 

 moist. After potting^ they should be placed 

 in a cold frame on an ajsh base, and 

 when they begin to root freely they must 

 have plenty of air, eventually pulling the 

 lights off on all favoiu'ablo occasions. In 

 some establishments large blwms are no 

 longer favoured, and attention is devoted 

 to pRKlucing large quantities of flowers for 

 cutting. For house and tal)le diH-oration 

 nothing can be more useful and give a }>et- 

 ler effect than the single varieties grown 

 naturally. These need good culture, and it 

 irt best to pinch the tops out alK>ut a fort- 

 night before each potting to ensui'c a bushy 

 growth. Where large quantities of bloom 

 have to 'oe produced throughout the winter 

 it will, perhaps, be a*^ well to give the method 

 we practise here. We rely on a few of the 

 Ijest, and gi'ow a quantity of each, llie 

 cuttings are rooted in boxes. a)u)ut 2<X) cut- 

 tings in each, and placed in cold frames. 

 The first week in May tlu'y <n<> ])lanted out 

 on a long border, two feet irom row to row, 

 and 18 inches from plant to plant. They 

 are pinched frequently until th<' middle 

 of August. Early in Octolx^r lliev aw liit<'d 

 with a little soil, if possible, hwi 1hit> does 

 not matter much, and ])lanted thickly iu a 

 long row of slightly heated ])its that have 

 l>een eunk so that the jifrowlhs are a foot 

 from the glass. If 1 hry an- thoroughly 

 sprayed over for a iVw <l;iys Wu^y will be 

 nothing the w<ir-i' \'nv Ww -liiit. The varie- 

 ties we grow like 1his ;ire lltlitli Pagram, 

 Sli;isla . ^Inrv Hicluirdsou, Mary Anderson, 

 \\"e>teiH King. Niveus, Source d'Or, F. >. 

 Yallis, and Church Brotherts' White. 



WINTER-FLOWI^RING ( VENATIONS. 

 With the increased light the growtlis liave 

 strengthened, and the flower stems will l>e 

 self-supporting. llie flowers are now of 

 much better quality than those opening 

 earlier in this year. Yonng plants rooted 

 in December or early in tlie new year, and 

 potted into 6()'s when rooted, will have tilled 

 their pots, and are ready for another shift. 

 These have been pinched, and are breaking 

 freely. They should be shifted into 5-inch 

 pots and shaded slightly for a fe\v days. 

 The temperature of the carnat ion houses 

 should be kept about 60 deg. by day and .">0 

 to 55 deg. at night; give abundaiici' of air 

 at all times. 



PROPAGATIOX. — Tliere will abun- 

 dance of Avni-k in tliis dir<M tinii. and almo.st 

 anything will root fi'Ct^ly iiou". A ]n<t])agat- 

 ing frame in a warm liou>c ic- ai>solutely 

 necessary. Salvia splendrih^. S. I'itcheri. S. 

 rutilans. Coleus thrysoideits. fuclisias, brug- 

 mansia-. lK>ugainvilleii(S, eu])atoriums. Be- 

 gonia Gloire de TA>rrainc, Streptosolon 

 Jamesoni, bouvardias, and many more sub- 

 jects will all require In be rooted now. 

 Place four cuttings in a thre<^inch pot. and 

 wdien the cuttingp! are ready for potting the 

 ball of soil can be hmkon equally in four 

 ]3artHi. tlnis keeping th(> i(M)ts of the four 

 plantt? intact. A sandy compost Avill .suit 

 most cuttings. 



GENERAL REMARKS. — Lilies of the 



speciosum sH^etion. r-iwli a> L. ]ai*rinn. L. 

 album, and L. I^Ielponn^ne. with L. anra- 

 tum. will now need top-^lr* -^-ino- as they are 

 emittiner roots freely from tiu^ nic-. Arum 



^^^^ 1^ 



lilies as 1hey pass out ol How(t ^1lould 

 sto<Kl outside in a .sheltered s])ot ])re])aratory 

 to planting out. Crinnni Mo(»rei and 



