Changes

Siberia. This onion is eaten as a vegetable in Japan<ref>''Gard. Chron.'' 25:458. 1886.</ref>.

Europe. The young leaves are used in Sweden to flavor stews and soups or fried with other herbs and are sometimes so employed in Britain but are inferior to those of the cultivated garlic<ref>Johnson, C. P. ''Useful Pls. of Gt. Brit.'' 270. 1862.</ref>.

Found growing wild in Algiers but the ''Bon Jardinier'' <ref>''Bon. Jard.'' 550. 1882.</ref> says it is a native of Switzerland. It has been cultivated from the earliest times. This vegetable was the ''prason'' of the ancient Greeks, the ''porrum'' of the Romans, who distinguished two kinds, the ''capitatum'', or leek, and the ''sectile'', or chives, although Columella<ref>Columella lib. 2, c. 8.</ref>, Pliny<ref>Pliny lib. 19, c. 34.</ref>, and Palladius<ref>Palladius lib. 3, c. 24.</ref>, indicate these as forms of the same plant brought about through difference of culture, the chive-like form being produced by thick planting. In Europe, the leek was generally known throughout the Middle Ages, and in the earlier botanies some of the figures of the leek represent the two kinds of planting alluded to by the Roman writers. In England, 1726, Townsend <ref>Townsend ''Seedsman'' 37. 1726.</ref> says that "leeks are mightily used in the kitchen for broths and sauces." The Israelites complained to Moses of the deprivation from the leeks of Egypt during their wanderings in the wilderness. Pliny <ref>McIntosh, C. ''Book Gard.'' 2:44. 1855.</ref> states, that in his time the best leeks were brought from Egypt, and names Aricia in Italy as celebrated for them. Leeks were brought into great notice by the fondness for them of the Emperor Nero who used to eat them for several days in every month to clear his voice, which practice led the people to nickname him Porrophagus. The date of its introduction into England is given as 1562, but it certainly was cultivated there earlier, for it has been considered from time immemorial as the badge of Welshmen, who won a victory in the sixth century over the Saxons which they attributed to the leeks they wore by the order of St. David to distinguish them in the battle. It is referred to by Tusser and Gerarde <ref>Gerarde, J. Herb. 139. 1597.</ref> as if in common use in their day.

The leek may vary considerably by culture and often attain a large size; one with the blanched portion a foot long and nine inches in circumference and the leaf fifteen inches in breadth and three feet in length has been recorded<ref>''Gard. Chron.'' 26:599. 1886.</ref>. Vilmorin <ref>Vilmorin Les Pls. Potag. 416. 1883.</ref> described eight varieties in 1883 but some of these are scarcely distinct. In 1806, McMahon <ref>McMahon, B. ''Amer. Gard. Cal.'' 581. 1806.</ref> named three varieties among American garden esculents. Leeks are mentioned by Romans <ref>Romans ''Nat. Hist. Fla.'' 1:115. 1 775.</ref> as growing at Mobile, Ala., in 1775 and as cultivated by the Choctaw Indians. The reference to leeks by Cortez is noticed under ''A. cepa'', the onion. The lower, or blanched, portion is the part generally eaten, and this is used in soups or boiled and served as asparagus<ref>Burr, F. ''Field, Gard. Veg.'' 126. 1863.</ref>. Buist <ref>Buist, R. ''Fam. Kitch. Gard.'' 84. 1851.</ref> names six varieties. The blanched stems are much used in French cookery.

''Allium reticulatum'' Fras. North America. This is a wild onion whose root is eaten by the Indians<ref>Pickering, C. ''Chron. Hist. Pls.'' 605. 1879.</ref>.

Mediterranean countries. According to Heldreich<ref>Mueller, F. ''Sel. Pls.'' 28 B. 1891.</ref>, this plant yields edible roots.

''Allium rotundum'' Linn. Europe and Asia Minor. The leaves are eaten by the Greeks of Crimea<ref>Pallas, P. S. ''Trav. Russia'' 2:449. 1803. (''A. descendens'')</ref>.

''Allium rubellum'' Bieb. Europe, Siberia and the Orient. The bulbs are eaten by the hill people of India and the leaves are dried and preserved as a condiment<ref>Royle, J. F. ''Illustr. Bot. Himal.'' 1:393. 1839.</ref>.

Europe. This plant, well known to the ancients, appears to be native to the plains of western Tartary <ref>Pickering ''Chron. Hist. Pls.'' 145. 1879.</ref> and at a very early period was transported thence over the whole of Asia (excepting Japan), north Africa and Europe. It is believed to be the ''skorodon hemeron'' of Dioscorides and the ''allium'' of Pliny. It was ranked by the Egyptians among gods in taking an oath, according to Pliny. The want of garlics was lamented to Moses by the Israelites in the wilderness. Homer <ref>''Treas. Bot.'' 1:41. 1870.</ref> makes garlic a part of the entertainment which Nestor served to his guest, Machaon. The Romans are said to have disliked it on account of the strong scent but fed it to their laborers to strengthen them and to their soldiers to excite courage. It was in use in England prior to 1548 and both Turner <ref>Miller ''Gard. Dict.'' 1807.</ref> and Tusser <ref>McIntosh, C. ''Book Gard.'' 2:29. 1855.</ref> notice it. Garlic is said to have been introduced in China 140-86 B. C. <ref>Bretschneider, E. ''On the Study'' 15. 1870.</ref> and to be found noticed in various Chinese treatises of the fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries<ref>Bretschneider, E. ''Bot. Sin.'' 59, 78, 83, 85. 1882.</ref>. Loureiro <ref>Loureiro ''Fl. Cochin.'' 201. 1790.</ref> found it under cultivation in Cochin China.

The first mention of garlic in America is by Peter Martyr<ref>Eden ''Hist. Trav.'' 1577.</ref>, who states that Cortez fed on it in Mexico. In Peru, Acosta <ref>Acosta ''Nat. Mor. Hist. Ind.'' 261. 1604. Hakl. Soc Ed. 1880.</ref> says "the Indians esteem garlike above all the roots of Europe." It was cultivated by the Choctaw Indians in gardens before 1775 and is mentioned among garden esculents by American writers on gardening in 1806 and since. The plant has the well-known alliaceous odor which is strongly penetrating, especially at midday. It is not as much used by northern people as by those of the south of Europe. In many parts of Europe, the peasantry eat their brown bread with slices of garlic which imparts a flavor agreeable to them. In seed catalogs, the sets are listed while seed is rarely offered. There are two varieties, the common and the pink.