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HINTS FOR ALLOTMENT HOLDERS.…

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HINTS FOR ALLOTMENT HOLDERS. do By SPADE-WORKER. SEASONABLE TOPICS. What is the best thing to do with pota- toes when you are short of storage room? That is a matter of some concern to most of us at the present time. I know of some i-cople who leave every other row of potatoes in the ground and cover them with soil re- moved from the lifted rows, thus affording them some protection. That may answer on light t-oil, but I should not care to attempt it on heavy land, for it means a good deal cf trampling on the soil in winter when the potatoes are required. It is much more satisfactory to make a proper clamp on a chosen and easily-accessible plot. I find that a large number, especially of the early and second early varieties which are in use until Christmas, are very conveniently stored in baskets and boxes placed on bricks to raise them off the floor. They must, of course, be kept dark. I place mine in a shed, covering with paper or sacking. In the event of severe weather setting in further protection must be given, for potatoes are easily damaged by frost. SPRING CABBAGE. I hope every reader of this column has sown a good patch of spring cabbage, for there will be no more useful vegetable in the allotment from March to May next year. Presuming that seed was sown some four or five weeks ago, the seedlings will now be large enough to put out at about 6ia. apart, Planting Spring Cabbage. I know many people do not trouble to do this they plant their spring cabbage per- manently direct from, the seed bed., But it is generally they who complain that their cabbage "bolts" to seed in spring or fails- to -'heart in." It is the little things that count in allotment gardening, and trans- planting seedlings of spring cabbage before p putting them out finally is an item of im- portance. The final planting ought to 00 done from the middle to the end of Septem- ber, or by early in October. If a tap-root (one that grows straight downwards from beneath the stem) is noticed on any of the seedlings it should be shortened. Plant firmly, a nd bury the cabbages up to the lowest leaves. An average distance of ljin. between the plants is sufficient. PREVENTING DAMAGE BY SLUGS. My seedling .cabbages and other^ little plants upon which I "set some store,' have been dwindling lately. On -everal mornings I missed some from their accnbtonied places, and in their stead were ominous blanks. It was easy to see that the damage was due to slugs, and I procesded to put into execution my favourite and-never-failing remedy. I mix sozve lime and soot together, and place it between the rows, then fill my sieve with ashes, and sift these among the seedlings until the soil is nicely covered. There are few things the slug likes less than crawling over the ijard, rough edges of ashes, and he is not likely to be troublesome if this prac- tice is followed. A half-inch sieve is suit- able. CARROTS. AND TURNIPS. Ono of Hi-e successful crops on my plot this year has been that of a ^mall. variety of carrot. I ?owed a few short rcw a intervals from April until the first week in AngKst, and, a consequence, has been a >!e to pull nice young icots without a break ncu June.. Thc-aa irom July and August snvílls will eomc in -useful in autumn act winter, and I pr-fer them to the large roots produced by the long varieties of carrot. Uiiuniug of turnips is a tedious job it -L; difficult ret to sow too much seed; every seed appears to,germinate, and the seedlings Slow very quickly, so that one must thiii them often and in good time, otherwise the plants become spoilt. Turnips that were sown Inst month are worth every attentiou. ir. the way of thinning and hoeixlg-finally. they should be about 5in. apart—for they will provide the main winter crop. PRIZEWINNING HINTS. A prize of "Garden Work for Every Day" is awarded to Mr. J. Wass for the following seasonable note and illustration of a trap for earwigs; I send you a sketch of an excellent cheap trap to catch e.arwigs, which at this time of the year are such a nuisance. A Trap for Earwigs. I I have used this for several seasons with great success. It is far better than the old- fashioned pot of hay placed at the top of a stick. My trap consists of a matchbox tied to the stake supporting the plant, the box being left slightly open at the bottom. The earwigs will enter the boxes, when they can be drawn out and thrown into a bucket of hot water. Mr. J. Barker, who wins a prize of 1,000 Gardening Hints," sends the following use- ful note on ripening tomatoes. Take a deep- paper bag (grease-proof is best), cut slits in the top about Jin. from maigin, and thread 4 with tape or wool, so that the bag can be drawn up like a lady's handbag. When the fruits are well formed slip the bag over and tie this loosely round the top of the stem. The air inside becomes hot in the day, and the bag keeps the fruit warm at night, thus greatly assisting ripening. PRIZE COMPETITION FOR ALLOT- MENT HOLDERS Every week two prizes are offered for the best allotment hint or recipe. The prises consist of useful gardening books. All en- tries for this competition t be'addressed "Spadeworker," care of Editor of this paper. ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT. J. H. C.—This is too big a subject to deal with in the space at disposal. You should first endeavour to set out the plots In squares or oblongs, in which form they can be measured without difficulty. The. pieces of ground should be dealt with after- wards. A convenient plan is to measure in rods; a rod is 301 square yards, or roughly 4 119 5 by 6 or 10 by 3 yards. 1' "Spadeworker" is open to give practical advice, free of charge, to readers of this p&per. Replies will be sent by post if a I stamped addressed envelope is enclosed, j Address your inquiries to "Spadeworkcr," I care of Editor. I

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