any rate some time before the land is required for sowing. 
Deep digging and liberal manuring the former, two or three times 
at least, at intervals of a week or ten days, so that the ground may 
become pulverised by the action of the weather, is important. 
Before sowing, the ground should be made smooth, all stones 
and hard lumps removed and the surface made firm, with the 
back of a spade or some similar implement. The seeds may then 
be sown either broadcast or in drills, six inches apart, and covered 
lightly. The whole surface should then be again beaten over to 
make it firm. If the weather be dry, watering will be necessary, 
and when the young plants have attained considerable size, a 
little guano may be put in the water. Thinning must be attend- 
ed to in time, and the plants pulled out may be transferred to 
other beds, but they will not do so well as those grown where 
originally sown, so leave the best, and remove the smallest and 
weakest. Onions and leeks require from four to five months to 
glow. White Spanish from Indian saved seed is the best that 
we have grown. (C. C.). The Chinese also grow a rather small 
round white onion in the vegetable gardens. 
Shallots [Bawang Merah ). — Are much cultivated by the Chin- 
ese market gardeners, and are a most useful vegetable. The 
bulb splits up into a number of cloves, from which it is propagat- 
ed. The cloves are planted singly or one or two together, in 
rows and covered with soil, which has been previously manured; 
well-rotted farm-yard manure is said to suit it best, but the 
Chinese generally use nightsoil only. 
The leaves, cut when quite young, are eaten as spring onions. 
But if the shallots themselves are required, they are not cut, but 
suffered to grow till they are full grown, and show signs of with- 
• ering when the bulbs are dug up. Shallots are used for flavour- 
ing, or for a curry sambal, or may be pickled. 
Leeks. 
Are a very wholesome vegetable, easily grown in the hills, and 
remain a long time in fit condition for the table. Seeds may be 
sown at almost any time, but about the middle or end of Novem- 
ber is the best. They transplant very well, and may be sown 
in beds or boxes, as may be most convenient. In order to have 
them large and white, the earth should be frequently drawn up 
around them as growth proceeds. London Flag and Musselburgh 
are the two best we have tried. (C. C.) 
They cannot be grown successfully in the plains. 
, Artichokes. 
Jerusalem artichokes are the rhizomes of Helianthus tubero - 
sus. They are a Very popular vegetable with Europeans, being 
used either as a flavouring or as a dish by themselves. Now 
and then the Chinese cultivate them, but easy as they are to 
grow here, they have been a good deal neglected, very few of the 
Europeans even cultivating them. The roots are planted in 
rows about two feet apart, and it is often well to shade the plants 
