TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 156, 4 July 1896, Page 3 (Supplement)

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Hardy Fruit Trek 3 for Shelter (Shelter).— The only evergreen fruit tree which I think would suit your purpose for shelter would be a lew plants of the loquat. It is protty hardy and should succeed wall in your district. It also growa taller than the tree tomato, and if planted close enough it would provide a good Bcreen. The fruit of the loquat would also come in for use after the tree tomatoes were all picked.

Pruning Japanese Plums (Amateur).-Your Jap plums are making what you call too much wood, and as far as I can see this is a great fault with them nearly every where. It will not do to prune hard bark. If you do they will only grow the stronger next season and give you vary little fruit. Your boat plan will ba to let them alone this year. Next teaaon they will likely come into bearing, and if they carry crops such as I have soen on most trees near Auckland they, will not make so much wood in futwre.; In fact, the moat pruring that should be done on the Jan plums is simply to foreshorten the leading branches and keep the centre of the trees opan. Even where such a plan ia adopted the roots should receive a corresponding pruning so as to check excessive growth the following season.