The Amman Valley Chronicle and East Carmarthen News

I WAR-TIME GARDEN WORK & ALLOTMENT INTERESTS. When asparagus leaver have turned yellow ■the stems should be oiut down ouite to the ground and tlie beds well weeded. The toughest weeds may be act- out wit-h a fork aucJ- the smaller ones with the rake, all the refuse being taken to the rubbish heap. When the foliage has been spread out to dry for a few days it should be burnt to destroy .insects. The bed should then be divssed with manure, and soil from the alleys placed over it to prevent the birds from scratching ii, up. If it is necessary to move sage plants, this may be done any time £ rom now ouvanI till .March. '1 he ph.nts should he lifted with a large ball of soil, great care being taken not to break the roots. Holes should -he dug in readiness, so that there is as little disturbance as possible, and a .thorough soaking of water should be given immediately after planting. A lisrht sprinkle overhead may be given occasion- ally on dry days to help to hasten the forma- tion of new roots. Where peas are wanted early nex; year, a sowing of those varieties able to stand a win- ter outdoors should be made now. Thev must be sown in a warm soulh border, with the shelter of a waLl if possible. Heavy soils should be first well dug, and a quantity of road sweeping. and, jf it, can be obta;?'ed, some lime rubble worked into t. A goot* early variety should be chosen. Before sow- ing the seeds should be moistened, thin rolled in rod lead, or soaked :for a few minutes in paraffin, to keep away mice and birds. Lettuce is such a useful plant for. the winter months that a littif- trotible taken with any, pla its now growing in the garden is wefl worth while. Those plants almost developed should be got up with a good root and planted i, a coid frame for the winter, and given a thorough watering. During warm weather the frames can be kept open, and NNheitever decaying leaves appear they should be re- moved at once, •' Winter spinach sown in the late summer j will now be getting forward, and a watch must be kept on the plants to prevent them bpToming overcrowded. They never do well if growing too thickly, and where this is noticed they should be thinned now, so that they are far enough apart not to be likely to -touch. In this way -t!w? -stems will grow strong i and stout, and the leaves attain a large size. 1 In autumn time look forward to next year's flowers and -eg-atables by getting the i ground well prepared for them. As soon as, plants are cleared off the soil should be wn: dug. and where tbi soil is heavy and unwork- able it must be trenched. "Ihe under so.1 must be \ell broker, up with a fork and the surface soil left in p., rough state. This wii- make the ground much more workable another year, and vegetables will grow all ji** better in it. Wher*. is properly done the lumps of cJayinheavy soils will crumb'le away to powder during the w inter, and a goad friable soil be the .result. If a heavy crop of pears en small trees is tie- sired it is bL to plant cordon trained or dwarfs or pyramids. Pear trees may be planted during the present month, but it must he re- membered that some varieties are unreliable if they are gro-sn on the pear or free stock. In selecting trees it is important to remember that most dessert kinds bake and cook well before they are ripe, so it is hardly necessary to plant -tevins pears as well. Pears tequire plenty of warmth to ripen, and when cold weather comes early in ,he autumn, as it has done this year, some kiLds of stewing peart may not rioen ai 'all. { i Medlar fruit e?i be gathered during the pre- 1 sent month or JrIXo\'emb& but after gather- i ing it should be allowed to remain for two or i three-weeks in a light, warn- place till a,kind of decay, known t's blettmg." begins. Then the 'fruit is fit for eating. h remains eatable for two or three weeks after this. Though many peaple do not like the fruit raw, it makes a de'ietous jelly, and can be u=ed in pies "ith apples, giving a nice flavour. Where space allows it is well worth while to have a hedge or a few rows of gilbert trees. During this month, while the soil is still fairly dry and the weather not yet too cold, these trees may be planted. Though they grow and thrive in almost anv Harden, a little care with rthem will, produce fine results. The best posi- tion is one on a slope fac-inu the south-east, south, or south-west. If standards are planted, spinach or some similar crop may be grown I b,.zjeatli tliciii.

"THIS WAS 0109 by eqpraiN r. p. w. rees. I On-e of the latest war photographs shows a signboard bearing the simple inscription "This was Riencourt." But, simple though it may be, that signboard Symbolises the epitaph written by Germany over much of war-wrecked northern France. It is practically impossible for anyone who has not been out there to realise what utter devastation has fallen upon some of the vil- lages in the battle-zone. One sees pictures of broken houses and ragged walls, roofless mansions and debris-scattered streets, and says How telTible: but of the villages that have seen the worst of the fighting there is nothing left to photograph. I remember once, last year. having to march a draft of reinforcements from Brav to a little place called Bouchavesnes. I was marching by the map, and my first objective was Clery. When I thought I should be nearly there, although I could see no sign of the place. I aske<i a traffic-control post at a cross-roads where Clery was. He looked -at- me with a grim sort of smile. litis is Clery, ir." he said. 1 was actually standing in the middle of j the village, and yet I cevdd see nothing of it. liven when it xvas pointed out to me," I did not at once see the few sorry heaps of bricks 1 that were all that was left of a prosperous village. I had walked right through Bouchavosvies before I noticed it. Then I saw one gatepost at the entrance to what had been a large house, with a broken gate hangiug limply on it. That was the only brickwork in the whole village that stood more than six inches from the ground. There were so many other places in the -aame awful plight. Yiliers-Cai bonnel w as so flattened out that it looked, in the distance, just like a nursery gin-den full of forcing. frames. Moislains was only a name on the map. Nurtu was like a huge rockery, for everywhere amoorg the ruins fruit and flowers were growing. Ir was all desolation inde- scribaoie, and m^ch of it had been wrought deliberately. -No will ever tell yon a de- quately the "errible story of the Son) me, because, as I have said. there is so pitifully little left 1\) photograph. Only when you stand in opeil country, with no habitation in sight, aii only a few grass-grown bricks to tell the isfid tale, do you rt-alise it. "Thi was -,5'

"BRUTES they were when they began the war. Brutes they remain at the present moment. The sinking of the 'Leinster' was pure barbarism, pure frightfulness deliberately carried out." -.HR. BALFOUR. .1r-'T 7

DRILLING PLATES. Writ ih OfficiaL I 11 munition worker at a auagazine drilling machine.

FRENCH DIVER AT WÐRK, .!¡¡ol, On this Mediterranean coast the beach shelves abruptly.

KITGHEN REeiPES IN WAR-TIME. PotatD and Carrot Soup.—INGREDIENTS.— 2 .b. potatoes. 2 lb. carrots, 2 qts. vegetable stock, 4 oz. onions..1 oz.. dripping, 2 oz. fine oatmeal, chopped pars. Ivy, salt, pepper. Method.—Wash, scrape, and chop the carrots simi.l. peal and chop the onions. Put these witih the J'at, stock, and a teaspoonful of sal! to bod steadily for an hour, or until tiie eavrot- are soft. Rub the soup thro-igh a ec-iandor. Rinse (he saucepan, put back the soup and bring it to the boil. Mix ihe oatmeal smoothly and t'liniy vitli cold-water, and pour it ilito tile boiling .soup, stirring all the time to prevent lumps. JBod for ten minutes, stirring occasion- ally to prevent- burning. Season, add the pa.'V jy. and serve hot. Chocolate Pudding.—INGREDIT:NTS.—1 Jh, flour. I J-b. lb. I oz. c-oeoa powder, j 3 tablespoonfuis baking-powder, about i pI. niilk-and water. METHOD.—Crumble the bread into the flour, add the baking powder all(I the stiet. Mix and dissolve the cocoa smoothly in half the warmed m.Vk, and stir in the sugar. Make a smooth paste of all these ingredients. If it is too stiff, add more miik till it drops easily off t.he spoon. -Grease several little basins (these take less time to cork than one large one), cover with saucers, and steam one hour. Savoury Lentils.—INGREDIENTS.— pt, red oz. 3 oz. onion, 2 oz. cheese, 2 oz. fat bacon, A teaspoonful powdered herbs, 1 qt.. vegetable stock, seasoning. I METHOD.-S-oak t he lentils overnight in warm water to Wf'¡ cover. Heat the dripping, or I light,y fry the bacon (cut in small bits) if it is being used. Titen add and fry the chopped onion in the hot fat till it is lightly browned. If bacon is used, take out the pieces of it before adding the onion, or they will get too dark. Xext add to the onion the lentils and water used for son king rice, herbs, and stock: Add no seasoning at present, as salt tends to harden pulse. Hoii gently till rice and lentils are soft. When cooked, they should be "in a thick mass, so be careful to stir well, unless using a double I pan. Add. more liquid, if it seems too dry before the choking is completed. Add the' cheese, seasoning, and, itfbv any chance it, is too soft, a few crumbs to stiffen it lip. Spread evcnlv in a greased Yorkshire-pudding or meat tin. 'and hake till lightlv browned and hot. Mark in squares ready for serving. Creamed Fish and Haricots.—TNC.K EDICTS. I lb. cooked fish, 1 oz. margarine or dripping, 1 oz. flour. 1 pt. fish or vegetable stock, 1 sill ilil"k, salt., pepper, vinegar, 2 teaspooiifuls chopped parsley, 5 oz. haricot beans. METHOD.—Break the fish into large flakes, removing bones and s kin's. INK h the fat ll: a pan, stir in the Hour, add the stock and milk, and r over a gentle heat till boiling. Add salt, pepper, and a little vinegar or lemon-juice, and put in the fish gently, so as r.o: to break it. Heat thoroughly, and serve with a border of boilciV haricot beans sprinkled with chopped parsley Savoury Ox-Heart.—INGREDIENTS.—1 ox- heart. 4 oz. mashed potato, or boiled rice, or soaked brend. 1 oz. melted dripping, 2 tabb- spooiifuls chopped parsley. 1 tabiespoonful | chopped onion, herbs, seasoning, milk to bind. stock, lb. tomatoes, 4 oz. onioii. 1 oz flour, 1 oz. fat, 1 cube any meat, extract, seasoning. METHOD.—Wash the heart, dry it. and cut off the loose flaps, and large pipe-like pieces. Then soak in cold, salted water for an hour to remove all Mood, pressing it now and then. Lift it out. and rinse well in clean water. See there is plenty of room in the centre cavity for the stuffing. To make the stuffing Mix the rice, or bread, or potato, whichever vou are using, with the nH:ded dripping, pars ey, onion, a dust of powdered herbs, and milk to bind stiffly. Press this mixture well down into the hear: till full. Tie a piece of inns.in over the top of the heart to keep in the stuffing. Paper would became.sodden and useless. Xext. make the gravy. Mc'it the fat in the saucepan, add the flour and half of the onion, and frv these care- fully tilt a rich brown. Fn- r:fí 'tÍle onion if another ounce of fat tan be afforded, but not unless. Then pour in the or water, and stir tn.ii boiling. Add the sliced tomatoes, the rest of the onion, the dissolved cube of meat extract, and seasoning. Boil up. put in the heart, cover the pan. and simmer on the stove or in the oven (if a handleiess utensil can bo used) for about "two hours and a half, or till the heart is tender. Now and then pour a spoonful of the gravy over Serve on a verv hot dish, and strain the gravy over it, rubbing as much as possible of the solid portions of it through tho coarse strainer or sieve that is being used.

GENERAL AND STAFF AT VÐLÐ. I [British O?ictut. J British Cffieerw in Italy, out of the line at rest, enjoy a fine game. lBrilih Ollicial. t

A MOUNTAIN FIELD AMBULANEE. [British Official. a view of the outside of a British Ambulance station in Italy. NC