Leek (Askham)

This is the entry for leek from Askham's Herbal

Porrum

This is called a like, it is hote and dry in the .ii. degre, it desireth louse ground and fat & well dunged, in that they shall beste profite in hote places & temperate. They may be sowen in December in temperate places & colde. They may be sowen in January February, & Marche whan the ground is well dygged and dighte, and it may be sowen by it selfe or medled with other sedes of herbes, in good fatte grounde well dygged and turned above it with good dunge, this sede wolde be sowen some what thicke and whan they be somwhat sprong take up the greatest Lykes and plante them in forowes, but take away none of their rootes whan ye se them in the forowes, but whan ye set them with a dyble, than caste awaye the rootes almost up to the leke head, and cut awai the uppermost of the leves, they may be planted in Julye, August, September and October, they be much profitable in Marche and in April next followinge, but in your plantiynge you shall not seke after fatte softe grounde, for menely ground that is almost drye is best, there is two maner of setting of Lekes, one is in forowes, as is the maner in Bo nony & the one forow must be fro the other a span large, and the Lekes must be set in the forowe .iiii. fingers brede, eche fro other, and whan ye make the next forow, cast the earth on the Lekes and treade it doune softly with thy fote. The seconde maner is thus, whan the grounde is well dygged and raked than make hooles wyth greate dyble and every hole from other a large span and more, in which the Lekes must be sette, but fyll not thy hooles nor put earth on them but let them be voyde thre wekes, whan wede growe among them pull them up and kepe them clene from wedes. Divers auctours saye that the Lekes that be thus planted be better than any other, or thei may be wel planted among great Onyons, and whan the Onyons be taken away, wede the Lekes & you shal fynde them faire and good, and whan ye pluck up leave some in a place, and leave some for sede the which sede may be kept thre yeare and it hanged up in the hulles. Lekes be best sodden, or thre times washed before they be eaten. For a wounde take Lekes & stampe them well with hony and lay it to the wounde and it wil heale it, for the cough take the joyce of Lekes use to drynke it, for the same take the joyce of Lekes & medle it with womans mylke and use to drynke it, and it will clense the longes of all vyces.

Fracturas solidat, duritiasque relaxat.
Vulnusque appositum: cet cum sale claudit.