September 27, 1883. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
279 
to greet you out of doors. I have been told there is one of the most 
complete collections of Narcissi in the world here. Anyone can see, as 
I often did, that ministering to the wants and studying them of bis 
various proteges is a labour of love to the Curator. The place is large, 
and a mere casual look round gives no idea of its floral wealth. I 
spent part of two days recently there, and left abundantly satisfied. 
The few following were either new or striking :—iEschynanthus ja- 
vanicus, a handsome basket plant introduced, if I remember rightly, 
by Mr. Burbidge from Java, with curious Salvia-like orange flowers, and 
rarely to be met with. Gloriosa superba—there was a well-trained 
floriferous specimen of this climber, very striking with its Lily-like 
blooms, and a remarkable contrast with the adjacent Asparagus con- 
sanguinea, as their foliage commingled. For cutting or bouquets imagi¬ 
nation could hardly picture anything finer than the graceful Fern-like 
fronds on arching stems of this Asparagus. Mr. Burbidge, for the 
purpose named, prefers it to A. plumosus or A. tenuissimus. As finely 
cut as is its feathery foliage, and apparently so tender, it has more 
staying power in water when cut than the hardiest Fern frond, which 
evidently points to its more extended culture. Impatiens Sultani was 
very striking in the Orchid house, the brilliant rosy scarlet blooms, as 
large as a florin, produced from the axils of the leaves and in continuous 
profusion. Although only introduced into commerce in the present year 
I was rather surprised to find it in several gardens in Cork and Dublin 
recently visited, and a prime favourite. Anthurium Andreanum—there 
is here a most promising young specimen of this coveted Aroid, and 
having just now two well-developed spathes. Of many showy plants it 
first catches the eye from the moist stove vestibule. Very beautiful is 
the white tint of the spadix as contrasted with the soft yellow of the tip 
and the shining, varnished, glowing scarlet of the spathe. 
The collections of Nepenthes here and in Glasnevin embrace all that 
have been recently introduced. One of the most conspicuous, and still 
one of the rarest and most expensive, is N. Rajah, introduced by Mr. 
Burbidge from Borneo and sent out by Messrs. Veitch of Chelsea. It 
has two curiously recurved fimbriated lips or wings, and studded with 
hairs or glands within. The lid, I understand, in older specimens often 
reach nearly a foot long, and the pitcher being nearly half that through. 
Probably one of the most highly coloured, and which many prefer, is 
N. sanguinea. It is scarce and beyond the reach of most people. I 
must not pass from the Nepenthes without referring to N. Mastersiana, 
certificated last year and raised from N. sanguinea and N. distillatoria, 
or what is commonly called the Glasnevin variety. At this time of the 
year the number of Orchids flowering is limited ; still there are some 
fine varieties among Masdevallias, Miltonias, a number of Cypripediums, 
Oncidiums, Epidendrums, Zygopetalums, Dendrobes, and Laelias. In 
the very select, showy, and well-stocked herbaceous beds and borders 
I cannot pass that welcome beauty of this year’s introduction, Tigridia 
conchiflora alba, or, as some call it, T. pavonia alba. This and many 
other plants of doubtful hardiness or capricious flowering propensities 
Lave a place in front of the long range. There is probably the largest 
and most select collection of Chrysanthemums in the country ; also of 
single Dahlias. Conspicuously good in beds and borders are many 
members of the Composite order, which seem to like the warm sheltered 
positions. Nowhere do you see finer Heleniums and Rudbeckias.— 
IV. J. MUBPHY, Clonmel. 
HISTORICAL JOTTINGS ON VEGETABLES.—No. 8 
THE GARLIC AND LEEK. 
Our Leading indicates two vegetables of high antiquity 
once in general favour, yet which are now held in no great 
estimation amongst the natives of Britain. We are more re¬ 
fined or more squeamish, or, perhaps, less sagacious than our 
ancestors were who loved these strong-flavoured allies of the 
Onion. Gallic, however, does not seem at any period to have 
had quite as much repute in our island as on the adjacent con¬ 
tinent, in various parts of which the plant is frequently em¬ 
ployed even now in mixed dishes, to the annoyance of sundry 
tourists who are somewhat fine of nose. These, like other plants 
of the genus Allium, contain both sulphur and phosphorus, 
hence in the processes of cooking and of digestion their bulbs 
evolve gases which are undeniably disagreeable, but to which 
habit reconciles many persons. 
To the lovers of word-studies the Latin name of the Leek 
has afforded amusement and occupation. It is very probable 
that Bryant is right in his notion that porrus is the name, slightly 
altered, of an Egyptian deity, “ Pi-orus,” a God identical with 
the Bel or Baal of other nations. But some uphold the theory 
that it has an early Keltic root— pori, meaning simply to eat, hence 
porridge, a dish that contained Leeks with various articles beside 
to form a vegetable soup. This is certain, that the Leek figures 
not unfrequently in Egyptian hieroglyphics; it was well known 
to that ancient and singular people, presumably reverenced by 
them. A majority of botanists think the garden Leek (Allium 
JPorrum) is hardly a distinct species, but a variation from 
A. Ampeloprasum, found wild both in the east and west. 
The plant may have been brought into England from Germany 
-as some conjecture, but as Leeks are mentioned in Wesh history 
before there occurs a notice of them in our English annals, it 
rather looks as if the species was indigenous in the principality. 
It is one of the peculiarities of this species of Allium that it 
adapts itself readily to any climate, though the pungency in¬ 
creases if grown in a low temperature. 
That the Leek should have been taken as the emblem of 
Wales is not surprising, the simplest explanation being that 
it was the usual practice of the small farmers, who helped 
each other with their ploughs m the olden time, to bring 
Leeks for their midday repast. “ Now-a-days,” says one tourist, 
“in spite of the proverb, ‘Common as Leeks in Wales,’ few 
of them appear to be eaten by the Welshmen, but a peasant 
may often be seen munching an Onion with his bread and 
cheese.” Of course the story has been passed from author 
to author that the Leek is worn on St. David’s day to com¬ 
memorate a victory achieved by the Welsh over the Anglo- 
Saxons in the seventh century, when the conquerors had placed 
Leeks in their hats by way of distinction. Its truth must be 
considered doubtful. That anonymous writer was probably a 
Welshman, who, in some rather barbarous lines, praised the 
green and white of the Leek, taking one as a symbol of courage, 
the other of excellence. 
Gerard the herbalist speaks well of the Leek, which by his 
time had been introduced into most of the gardens about 
London, but he gives no directions about its cookery or its 
culture. Tusser observes that the farmers throughout England 
were acquainted with it and allowed it a place in their fields, 
as well as Onions and Garlic, to supply themselves and their 
neighbours. In cne of his quaint verses he remarks :— 
“ In March Leeks are in season, for pottage full good ; 
And spareth the milch cow, and purgeth the blood.” 
King James I., when he arrived in the south of England, was 
doubtless pleased to find his favourite Leek was not unknown to 
his new subjects, for he is said to have had a particular liking 
for the “ ccck-a-leekie,” a dish owing its distinctive flavour to 
this savoury vegetable ; and the Scotch Leek, which differs 
somewhat from the English kind, having narrower leaves, has 
also an extra pungency grateful to noi’thern stomachs. 
The Shalot or Eschalot (A. ascalonicum) is another pungent 
species, but lejs offensive than the Garlic. It is named from 
the tovn of Ascalon in Syria, which is supposed to have fur¬ 
nished the first samples of it that were sent into Europe. The 
Crusades, which certainly brought us many Asiatic plants, may 
have been instrumental in making us acquainted with the Shalot. 
still called by some folks the Scallion, a form of the name that 
has not come through France, as has the common appellation. 
In a book published about 1548 Turner mentions this species, 
and its small membrane-cased bulbs or cloves clustered together; 
but in the Tudor times this vegetable seems to have had less 
patronage than others belonging to the same group. 
We need not question the identity of the Garlic referred to 
in two of the oldest works extant—viz., the Old Testament and 
the Iliad of Homer; this is plainly the A. sativum of modern 
authors, still occasionally cultivated in gardens; a plant growing 
apparently wild in some parts of South Europe, perhaps only a 
true native of the East and of North Africa. By many of the 
ancients Garlic was regarded as both food and physic. The 
Romans held it in high estimation, believing it had such restora¬ 
tive properties that it would give strength to the exhausted, and 
even inspire the timid with courage. Pliny commended Garlic 
as a specific for a variety of maladies, and several of the old 
physic ans during the period when England had visitations of 
the plague advised the use of a drink made from Garlic steeped 
in milk by way of antidote against the infection. Old Fuller 
averred that the plant was “ sovereign ” for men, and for beasts 
also, and in several of the south countries, until very recently, a 
clove of Garlic was carried upon the person as a remedy for 
ague and “ chin-cough.” An oriental superstition ascribes to it 
the power of driving away evil spirits ! The reverence shown by 
the Egyptians, or supposed to be shown, to the Onion and Garlic 
was ridiculed by J uvenal:— 
“ ’Tis mortal sin an Onion to devour, 
Each clove of Garlic has a sacred power. 
Religious nations sure, and blest abodes, 
Where every garden is o’er-run with gods ! ” 
Before A. sativum was cultivated by our ancestors they were 
well acquainted with some native varieties of ihe Garlic. It is 
thought the name is an Anglo-taxon one, having allusion to the 
spear-like growth of the leaves in some species. The Isle of 
Ramsay, so Ray suggests, was probably named from the abun¬ 
dance there growing of the broad-leaved Garlic or Ramson, 
which would make itself conspicuous by its snow-white flowers, 
and also apprise the nose of its presence should the by-passer 
step upon it heavily. The leaves, however, were gathered about 
