Leek.
340. The Leek ?llizinz Porruni, L ; Poireau of the French) is a native of S•vitzerland, and a biennial plant. The stem rises three feet, and is leafy at bottom, the leaves an inch wide. The flowers appear in May, in close very large balls, on purplish peduncles. The whole plant is used for culinary purposes; but the blanched stein is most esteemed. It is in season in winter and spring, and is chiefly used in soups. and For stawing. It is mentioned by Tosser in 1562, but was no doubt known in this country long before that date. The Welch are proverbially fond of leeks.
" Leek to the Welch, to Dutchmen butter's dear !" sings Gay ; and the description of a plain prose writer jus tifies the remark : " I have seen the greater part of a gar den there stored with leeks," says \Vorlidge, speaking. of Wales, " and part of the remainder with onions and garlic." Leeks furmerly constituted an ingredient in the dish called jzorrage,—a name, indeed, which may be supposed to be derived from Jzorrum.
There are three varieties: the narrow-leaved or Flan ders leek ; the Scotch, or flag leek, sometimes called the Musselhurgh leek ; and the broad-leaved or tall Lon don leek. The latter variety is often cultivated ; but for exposed situations, the Scotch leek is by much the more hardy.
Leeks are raised from seeds sown in the spring, much in the same way as onions, and occasionally along with these. They are at first sown closely in beds ; and iu June or July, when early cabbage or an early crop is re moved, the leeks arc planted out in rows, about a foot apart, and six inches asunder in the rows. The tips of the leaves, and the points of the fibrous roots, are commonly trimmed off before planting. A good rule is, to make a deep hole with the dibble, and merely to lay in the leek-plant up to the leaves, without closing the earth about it. In this way the stein of the leek is encouraged to swell and lengthen, and is at the same time blanched. This plan, however, must either be adopted only in moist weather, or the plants must be well watered, so as to ensure their taking root. It is r marked, that if the leaves be topped two or three times during the summer, the leeks grow to a larger size ; as new heart leaves are pushed forth, and the stalks, or useful part, are thus increased. They are ready for use in the
autumn and winter. When there is a prospect of severe frost, part of the leek crop is sometimes lifted, and laid, with the roots in sand, in a cellar.
In good seasons, the seed ripens perfectly well in this country. For producing seed, the largest plants are se lected, and in February are transplanted to the south side of a wall or hedge. As the flower-stems advance, they are supported by strings passed along and fixed to stakes, be ing apt to be kroken by the wind, especially when the heads get large and heavy. When ripe, which is generally in September, the heads become brown; they are cut off along with part of the stalk, and hung up for some weeks, and the seed is then rubbed out.
Cibol.
341. The Cibol, or Welch Onion, (.411iumfzstulosum, L.; La Ciboule de St Jacques of the French), is a perennial plant, a Dative of Siberia. It appears, from Parkinson, that it was cultivated in 1629, but it was known long pre viously. Although called Welch onion, it produces no bulb ; but the fistular leaves, and the lower part of the stems, are much used in salads in the spring months. They have rather inure of the garlic than of the onion flavour. Sometimes they are planted as scallions; indeed, some con sider this plant as tne true scallion, but without sufficient evidence.
Cibols are chiefly raised from seeds, which are sown in July. The seedling plants soon appear ; but, in the course of October, the leaves go off, and the ground seems quite bare. As early as January, however, they again begin to shoot, and by March they are fit for use, being then very green and tender. As might he expected of a Siberian plant, it withstands our severest winters. The wide-swell. fistula'. leaves give it rather a curious appearance ; a few plants may therefore be suffered to stand on a south border of the garden, where they will in general ripen their seed.