To Correspondents.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 124, 29 May 1886, Page 4

To Correspondents.

Pkunin« llohk TiiEKa, ETC. (F., Surroy Hills.) (A) The propur Uino to prune rose troes is in the BprliiK, when iho bu-hesaro beginning Co sWill tiu> budtt rocgrowintr. Then prune buck nearly nil of old wood, leaving three or lour budrf, which will uroduootho alioots for next year's Ho worn. (B) The grass on a, no wly sown lawn should bu cut as soon as the scythe will calch li properly, und afterwards it uhould be rolled. Koop the grass short all winter and spring, rullinK it frequently. To allow the grass to growall winter without cutting would have the ofToct of killing moru than half the plants, and would perhaps avail tho lawn. (U) If you did not sow boncduat while niakinx the ground ready (or tha Brass seod, do uot do f o now. I would prefer to use guano several times during tho cprtag while the grass is growing rapidly, or during moist weather This would have the effect of making it grow rapidly before tho hot weather cots in. Next season before top-dressing tho ground give it a heavy dose of boneduat. Of oourae to sow fine bones now would not do any injury, but I would prefer that they wore slightly undor tho surface. Taiiles fob Orchard Treks. (Fruil).—The bent way to have the names of your trees pro perly kopt Is to have them planted in row?, and «aoh tree numbered, such number to be btamped on a email strip of lead or zinc loosely wound round a braach or limb of the tree. The namo or the variety with the corresponding number should be entered in a book. When tho trees am carrying fruit, by looking at tho number, on the tree and the number In the bosk you will at onoo ascertain the namo of tho tree. By a little exerolao of memory in a short tirui) you should bo able to know each vii lety without tbo use of cither book or memory. Getting Hid or Tres Stumts. (3«tUor).— Tho best way to got rid of tree stumps is to dig them out. Tots method of courßu is expensive, but it would cost leas if the atump was taken oat while felling the tree, as tbo tree itself would give considerable leverage in hoisting some of the roots, especially if a block and tackle wero uaod. Another method is to bore a two inch auger In the stump from six to twelve laohes deep, according to the size of the stump. Place in tho hole two or three inches of saltpotre, fill the whole full of wator, and plug the Coles. The wator will dissolve the nitre and penetrate tho stump in all dlreo tlons. In the spring it will be similar to touch ■ wood, when you cm flroit, and the flro will eiuouider to tho onds of the roots. I would not advise either method for clearing a farm, but if it is only a fow Btumps you want to got rid of, try the latter plan. Pruning Evergreen Shrubs (Shrubbery).— Whenever shrubs attain too great size, or when they have attained such dimensions as you may require, they shoold be pruned so aa to keep them within bounds, but this Is not the proper tlnio to prune. The best time is early 111 the spring, j net beforo the shruba begin to grow. If prunednow they would proaenian unsightly appearance till the early spring, when they get fresh growth. If the pruning is loft till the early Bpring the ascending sap will cause the out branohes to burst forth with new shoots, aud in a comparatively short lime all trace of tho pruning will bo covered uu. All shrubs that are grown for thoir flno foliage should aleo be shortened early in tho spring, as it will causo them to grow flnor folixge.