THE GARDENING SCHEME.

Evening Star, Issue 21170, 2 August 1932, Page 13

THE GARDENING SCHEME.

TO THE EDITOR. g; r> Mrs Bennot’s letter on this subject caused me to wonder quite a lot: has she any idea of what a vegetable garden actually costs, or is her information purely hearsay? Especially would I like to have a look at the modest list of seeds amounting to £1 15s 3d necessary for a start for a man with a small family. What a pity you did not publish it. If you will grant me a small space I will enumerate what I used last year for a family of five, and wo arc still eating the parsnips, carrots, and other root vegetables contained in that list. Two packets broad beans, Is; three packets peas, Is 6d; one packet carrots, 3d; one parsnips, 3d; one beet, 3d; two raddish, 6d; one spring onions, 3d; one French beans, 6d; one lettuce, 3d; one leeks, 3d; twenty-five cabbage plants, fid; one stone seed potatoes, 2s; making a total of 7s fid only, and this lot sufficed our family from December last right up to last month, when our potatoes ran out. Seed potatoes this year will probably be higher than they were last year, but surely not 16s per stone —£128 per ton! —1 am, etc.. Unemployed. August 1. [Mrs Bennet's list (inadvertently omitted yesterday) was as follows: Three stone King Edward potatoes, at 8s per stone, £1 4s; packet parsnips, fid; packet carrots, fid; turnips, fid; spring onions, fid; spinnach, Is; cabbage .seed, Is; cauliflower seed, Is; leeks, fid; celery, 6d; lettuce, fid; tree spinnach, 6d; onions, fid; silver beet, fid; beetroot, fid; swede turnips, fid; parsley, 3d; peas. Is; broad beans, Is; total, £1 15s 3d.] _ TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —The Government is making a point (and rightlv so) of the unemployed helping themselves in regard to small garden plots for the growing of vegetables, and ,it has been advertised repeatedly that the men are being supplied, with limo at a nominal price. This nominal price is 3d for 141 b, which works out at £2 per ton. Now the price of carbonate of lime to the farmer as charged by the different lime companies is 13s per ton, and the railways carry free to 100 miles. Why are the unfortunate unemployed made to pay this high price? Again, of what use is 141 bof carbonate of lime? The benefit derived from it this season is infinitesimal. —I am, etc., Bonedust. August 1.