TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 237, 6 October 1928, Page 6 (Supplement)

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

EDEN (Manukau) sends a plant for Menlilleation. It-was found in the busu at M-innkau.-lt Is Pteroetvlls Bimksli, uue oC the native terrestrial orchids.

J.IL-" (•riemucrn) writes: anionics lor your "'fonly re boeius. Apparently I did not make n.y meatihis clear. I intend to ills aid trench the ground with the spade, flii'ii iiliinl a crop uf polatmjs. mill after that lo keep the grounil In condition with Hie im.uji hue—one spit .le-i> if that wih ,lu—hut How often to rupeet the operntion, providing the ground is dry, Is yrliiil I should like to know.—One spit deep will he all right, and if sone over once even six weeks or so would he sufficient, lula would keep down weeds- and work the soil into a nice friable condition. vv'xr. (Tailiape) : I liavc a lauristinus hcd"-e, aud iu one piece of it there is sonic disease. I noticed it first lust year, but this year there is a bigger piece. Tic leaves turn yellow and fall off.'—The leiif enclosed bail some tlirips on it, but I do not think that can be the cause o£ the -Icivps lurninv vellow and falling. it Bounds as ir il were due to borer. Have •i Inspection and sec i£ you cau iiFcovc'r any "holes I" «'e stem, if so. squirt in a. little, benzine from ;l small oil feeder, and plug the hole with clay. Sir'vin- the h'-dse with lime sulphur --KOlntlin- wduHl wet rid o£ the thrips. IIIINEMCUI' (Waihi) -writes: I have a ■ Stilr iicr app c that has been planted two v rebut has m»dc no growth. l)o you ■,],„,; r,, ;l i would improve • \ U V tree of Delicious. it l.'»ar>, v, 11 b'ft the fruit is simill and lmrd. iVulil v»n toll me of a. ietuico that lias a line white heart , -' My leUuec secui to hi: all leaves and do not heart well. —l rohIbly iiiovinL' the tree, especially if you put it 'in some well UHinured ijroimd, will help it. 1 think you should give the tree a • L-ood niauiirins; use almost any ma ire tlmt vou cau set. ••All-the-ycac-iound is a—ood icttuceT-but it is on the small side; the hearts are solid and white, "Boston , .' is also good. JACK (Frankton) writes: Can yoj give me information re some potatoes? I have had "iven lo me some that mature in -iO days. WbtLt treatment do they rerniire, and cao seed he saved if successful?— This is the lirst time I have heard of a potato that will mature in 40 ilays. It Is possible by forcing in pots to get some about the size : of a walnut in about eight weeks (50 to GO days); but in -10 days in the open jrrouud— "Vc gods," it is not much Jonger than most varieties take to show through the ground. I should advise you to give ' thorn the'hest soil and the most sheltered position possible. Tbey will need hoeing every week to keep the soil loose about the plants. The seed can to saved and ' will be worth savins i£ the crop matures withiu 40 days:

E.P.."' (Point Chevalier) aslcs: (1) The names of a quick -growing tree and creeper (uative preferred) suitable for a breakwlnd- tlio seed of which can be planted now. (2) When to plant gnava seed. ("•) Wlieii to plaril llax seed, and will it ger- . minute in swampy ground? (1) r J'he name of •! native tree to grow as a'bodge in u swamp —11 ) 'I'lie best that you could sow now would be black wattle. I do not known crimper that would do for a breakwind; but "if you want a creeper to cover a trellis ■or fence, why not sow runner beans? (-) Sow now. (8) -N«. It -will grow in niotet ground, but I do not know what vou mean by swampy ground, l have seen some swampy ground that was too soft to walk on. (-1) I- do not know of 'i tree that would make a hedge in a swamp, unless it is flax. Vittosporiim L-rassifoliuui or black wattle will grow ' well on moist ground.

•war lut appear 10 be very -backward this aealon Is it the cold weather or do tlicv need any special aiauureV (-) What. nUn i<; Hie bi-st and MiuckesL T'lt-aiis oi pusl'.in- on young plants? (3) What is a *ood book .".i. general cultivation?—(3) . The weatlier is no -loulit to blame for the S'oS nSul bone or bonedust would Help the plants. ' (2) The best way of pushing on youn,. plants is to keep stirring-the soil round kbout the plant. This applies to even small plants in boxes or pots. If t&e sou is fairiy good it is .eulHcieut for the plants' ni-Pd. and keeping tiie soil loose around about the plants will hirlp them ', on better Uian anything else. The only manure tliat may be required is nitrogen, and this can be supplied by nitrate o£ soda. a t.-iblcspoonful to about two gallons of water and the plants watered with the solution will do. Give the plants a little about once a week, and In the ease nf young plants do not apply it overhead/ The hoe is the best, and cinnot be overdone, but manure can be overdone and has been the indirect cause of many plants I dying from apparently unknown causes. to) "Brett's Gardening Guide" is suitable.

KAKETU (Epsom}, asks -when to sow see oCanemones mid kowlinl.—Anemone see can be sown as soon as ripe, but iu tlia cnso tlie sicoil bed will need shading an watering tl'iruugli the summer. Probabl the best time to sow is about Februar or Miirrli, Hint i« about the beginnln of autumn, when (lie wen!her is coole and there is more moisture in tl* .ground. Konhal seed should he sow .•is soon up ripe. It kept the germinatio is retarded.

F.B. (Mount Eilon) asks: (1) Please tell mo how to treat 11 garden tlia.t is full of wlreworms. My crop of potatoes was riddled? (2) What artilieinl manures should I use for ordinary soil fhal is neither volcanic nor heavy tiny 7 1 can get plenty of iior.se manure, but the horse is bedded " down with chips. Would the wood make thi> soil sour? (!j) My strawberries are full of liloom. Is il too early for them, and should 1 pick them off?— (1) Give tin: soil a good dross-ins,- of White Island prudiivt No. J. Use it at the rate or nhuut four ounces to the square yard and hoe it in. As a rule wlreworms are not troublesome except in land freshly turned out of grass; after n year'or so of. cultivation (hey seem to disappear. (2) There is ii.i particular artificial manure that can he said to he particularly suitable to medium soils, all or any o£ the usual lines ciuilil l"> used. Horse manure where chips arc used for bedding is not so valuable: as straw manure, because the chips do not decay so readily, and in the process of decaying are Inclined lo Ueop the soil open and cause it to dry. So far as turning it sour I do not sec why that\should be so. lime'will reduce any wood to .i decent plant medium. Shake out as.many of the chips, especially the coarser ones, and I think you need' have no worries about using the manure. (3) Leave the flowers, on. they, should ,be setting and forming fruit before loug.