1875. 
NOTE ON LEEKS.—ADIANTUM SPECIOSUM. 
271 
cold—in one case especially, where a quantity of old leather trimmings had been 
mixed in the soil. In a contemporary we read of a successful grower who says 
that he conquers the enemy by high night-temperature. Now, we are aware 
of some skilful men who have been signally defeated by maintaining high night- 
temperature ; and we know others who neither study temperature, humidity, nor 
any other requisite, and yet spot or any other pest is unknown to them. Some 
of us are ready enough to attribute success to our own skilful management, when 
actually we have no enemy to contend with ; and a neighbour’s defeat is often 
attributed to anything but the right cause. In all its important bearings, the 
real cause of “ spot ” on Grapes is not known. If some of our scientific friends 
would examine the soil in which Vines that suffer from this evil are growing, 
also the water applied, much light might be thrown on the matter.—M. Temple. 
NOTE ON LEEKS. 
READ with interest Mr. Forsyth’s notes on Leeks, at p. 92, and heartily 
agree with his remarks as to the neglect into which the culture of that use¬ 
ful vegetable has fallen, but I cannot fall in with his observations as to the 
Leek being a “stiff-necked biennial.” Miller in his Dictionary (1731) 
states that Leek seed from old stools or plants degenerates. I have one of such up¬ 
wards of thirty years old. The Leek ( Allium Porrum ) is a native of Switzerland, 
and according to Loudon was introduced into England in 1562. There is indeed 
every reason for believing that it was introduced prior to that time ; while, as to 
the Onion (. Allium Cepa ), Neil observes that neither the native country nor date 
of its introduction to this country are known; but although the history of the 
Onion can be imperfectly traced in Europe, there is no doubt as to its great 
antiquity in Africa, since there is evidence that the bulb was known and much 
esteemed in Egypt 2,000 years before Christ. The Israelites, we are told, craved 
for the leeks, onions, and garlic of Egypt.—J. Wighton, Cossey Park. 
ADIANTUM SPECIOSUM. 
jMONGST the very distinct-looking groups into which the species of 
Adiantum , or Maidenhair Fern—peculiar as is the genus for its natural 
character—may be thrown, that of the scandent, or semiscandent ones, 
is perhaps the most remarkable. To it belong A. Feei (flexuosum), A. 
digitatum , and the subject of our present notice, A. speciosum , the present having 
the climbing habit the least developed of the three. 
Of the general habit of the plant and its beauty, the accompanying illustration 
from Messrs. Veitch’s Catalogue for 1875 gives a good idea. The fronds often 
reach a length of 3 ft., and a breadth of nearly 2 ft.; they are tripinnate, with 
spreading pinnae, the pinnules of which average from £ to 1 in. across or more, 
the margin being cut into cuneate lobes, which are truncated and soriferous at 
the apex. The whole frond is covered with dense short hairs, which render it 
soft and woolly to the touch. The spreading arching habit, and deeply-lobed 
