28 MAY 1948, Page 14

In the Garden The tulips begin to drop their petals

; and there is a general idea that the best way of preserving the plant from degeneration is to dig it up for a while. No doubt the belief is well justified, but there are tulips and tulips ; and certainly the parrot tulips (which I think grow more popular) object to such disturbance. in the vegetable garden the season has wonderfully encouraged the cauliflower. One of them from my garden, without any special cultivation, weighed without any leaves 101 lbs. As midgets mere selling in the market for 2s. 6d., it must have been worth a mint of money.

W. BEACH THOMAS.