30 ALLOTMENT GAEDENS 



The varieties grown satisfactorily are * A 1 ' (red), 

 4 Solid White ', ' Leicester Bed ', and ' White Gem '. 



Cucumber. The open-air cultivator must either dig 

 out a trench 2 feet wide and 1 foot deep, or must make 

 holes 2 feet across and 1 foot deep, the holes being 4 feet 

 apart. The trench or the holes must be filled with some 

 ' heating manure ' which must be lightly trodden down 

 and covered with about 4 inches of soil. This should be 

 done early in May. Towards the end of the month the 

 seed should be sown 12 inches apart in the trenches, 

 eventually thinning to 3 feet apart. Where holes are 

 made three seeds should be planted in each hole, even- 

 tually thinning out to one plant in each hole. 



Protect the plants from cold winds and frosty nights 

 whilst young. 



After they are established and growing freely pinch 

 or stop the plants. Water and feed with liquid manure 

 through the summer. 



' King of the Kidge ' and ' Stockwood ' are good 

 serviceable varieties. 



Leek. The leek should have a long season of growth, 

 from twenty-four to thirty weeks. 



There are many methods of cultivation adopted, but 

 the simplest and probably the best is to sow the seed 

 in March and April rather thickly ; allow the plants to 

 grow till 8 inches high, then plant out with a dibber into 

 rows 12 to IB inches apart and the plants 8 inches apart 

 in the row, making holes 6 inches deep and dropping a 

 plant into each hole up to the base of the leaves. 



During the summer keep the hoe going freely ; water 

 and feed with natural and artificial manures as neces- 

 sary. As the plants grow earth up to the base of the 

 leaves. To get large exhibition leeks sow the seed much 



