***

Allotment holders have been warned to be on their guard against wire-worms, and special constables are keeping a sharp look-out by the potato-beds.  A still more efficacious method of protection is to enclose the allotment with barbed wire-wormless.

***

Two speakers at a Ramsgate meeting recalled that they were chums seventy-three years ago.  The touching incident has resulted in a local appeal for them to be drafted to the same regiment when their class is called up.

***

The Cuckfield Council has appealed to householders not to put broken glass in their swill.  With all imports of glass-ware cut off, it is felt that even our pigs must be required to forgo some of their accustomed delicacies.

***

“The heavy tread of policemen often keeps me awake,” said the Willesden magistrate.  He admits, however, that the darkened streets and the absence of parental discipline make it more than ever necessary that the Force should put its foot down firmly.

***

“Seagulls in Thanet,” says a contemporary, “are coming to the backs of houses and sharing crumbs with the sparrows.”  It is doing no more than justice to a much abused bird to point out that the sparrows are also sharing crumbs with the seagulls.

***

It appears from a contemporary gossip-writer that Count Plunkett has definitely decided not to take his seat in the House of Commons until after the War.  This will be a relief to the authorities, who had feared that the two events might clash.

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Notice.

In order to meet the national need for economy in the consumption of paper, the Proprietors of Punch are compelled to reduce the number of its pages, but propose that the amount of matter published in Punch shall by condensation and compression be maintained and even, it is hoped, increased.

It is further necessary that means should be taken to restrict the circulation of Punch, and beginning with this issue its price is raised to Sixpence.  The Proprietors believe that the public will prefer an increase of price to a reduction of matter.

Readers are urged to place an order with their Newsagent for the regular delivery of copies, as Punch may otherwise be unobtainable, the shortage of paper making imperative the withdrawal from Newsagents of the “on-sale-or-return” privilege.

In consequence of the increase in the price of Punch the period covered by subscriptions already paid direct to the Punch Office will be proportionately shortened; or the unexpired value will be refunded, if desired.

* * * * *

The House of Commons Appeal Tribunal has just granted a brief exemption to an importer of Chinese eggs, which are used, it was explained, by bakers and for leather tanning.  The bakers are believed to use them for dressing the surfaces of penny buns.