82 ALLOTMENT GABDENS 



The ground should be trenched 2 to 3 feet deep in the 

 winter, in the bottom trench add garden refuse, road- 

 side quarterings, &c. ; to the top spit add plenty of 

 good stable manure, and if the soil is retentive add 7 lb. 

 basic slag, 5 lb. wood ashes, and when raking down the 

 bed for seed sowing add 5 lb. of soot to each pole of 

 ground. Burnt soil and lime are good for heavy soils. 

 To a light soil give a mixture of 4 lb. superphosphate 

 and 4 lb. kainit, adding, when raking down the bed for 

 seed sowing, 3 lb. of salt and 5 lb. of soot these 

 quantities to each pole of ground. 



During March, on a nice dry day and when the soil is 

 workable, break down the lumps of earth, rake off the 

 stones, level the ground, and tread to get a firm surface. 



Draw drills at 1 foot apart and about -J- an inch deep. 



Sow the seed thinly, making an ounce do a 200-foot 

 row. When the plants are up in the row hoe to loosen 

 the surface soil, but do not hoe deeply. 



Thin as required for use, finally leaving the plants 

 6 inches apart in the row. 



Feed with guano, nitrate of soda, and soot. For 

 quantities see table. 



In a hot dry summer mulch with short manure. 



When the tops show signs of ripening bend them 

 over, this will have the effect of swelling and ripening 

 the bulbs. Before storing have the bulbs well ripened 

 by laying them out on a gravel path, hurdles or corru- 

 gated iron. 



The varieties for sowing outside are ' A 1 ', ' Improved 

 Beading ', ' Nuneham Park ', ' White Spanish ', and 

 ' White Globe '. 



The varieties to grow for exhibition, and to be sown 

 under glass in January and February, and planted out 



