TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 260, 2 November 1929, Page 6 (Supplement)

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

READER (Mt. Albert) sends a specimen for identification. —Boronia pinnata. SANDY'S MATE (Mt/Albert) asks if iron rust is any use as a manure?—lt has a very little value; as a rule most soils contain sufficient Iron. KNOWLEDGE ' (Waimauku) sends two specimens for Identification ?—No. 1, Scilla camp'anulatus or Seilla hispanica. No. 2, Sisyrinchium grandiflorum. A.P. (Mount Albert) asks: What would be a good spray for blight on Lily of the Valley, and how often should it be used?— Use lime sulphur solution, one part to 125 parts water. Spray about every . three weeks, until you find you have the disease under control.

NATURALIST (Whangarei) asks the -Maori name and localities where found of the silver pine, also if there is any woodboring insects which attack it?—Dacrydium Colensoi (silver pine! : Momoao, between Mangonui and Kaiatia, Whangaroa, Bay of Islands, and Whangarei. It is a very durable timber, and I do not think it is attacked by borer, but at the same time cannot be sure- of this.

J.A.B. (Waikino) sends a branch of a plum tree for examination.—The trouble is silver bjight. There is no cure so far as I know. Cut out the branch, or if the most of the tree is affected cut it down, dig out the most of the thick roots and burn the whole lot. The fungus develops spores on the dead wood and these enter the tree by means of pruning and other wounds. ' Hence the only means of control is cutting out and burning every affected twig so 'as to'prevent the production of spores on the dead wood. TYRO (Brown's Bay) writes: (1) I enclose a corm, and would like to know what it is. There grows from the lower end a thick, fleshy, semi-transparent root. (2) I find occasionally a grub, about an inch long, white but darker at one end. Is this the grass grub?—(l) It is a corm of Oxalis, a nasty weed in cultivated ground. The thick, fleshy roots are produced in spring/but dry up and form combs during' the summer; these commence to grow with the autumn rains Fowls are very fond of the roots and will clear the ground of them. (2) It is the grass grub or the larva of the bronze beetle.

G.P. (Frankton) writes: I am enclosing two embryo plums (Burbank). "Would you tell me what is the trouble, and the remedy?— The cause of the disease is a fungus, and produces malformed fruits known as bladder plums. Burbank and some other Japanese varieties are particularly susceptible. ■ The disease also affects the leaves and shoots; in each case the part attacked becomes distorted Control is effected by spraying when the buds begin to swell, but before they open. When the disease is seen all distorted fruit, leaves, and branches should be picked off and burnt. This latter precaution is more effective than spraying. IE is confined to the plum, and is not considered a very serious disease.

E.F.H. (Te Awamutu) writes: I have in my garden a very pretty variegated . thistle. It came up on its own. Are they rare in this country? What is the history or legend attached to it?— His• tory, legends and traditions surrounding thistles is a large subject. Carduus Benedictus, or Holy Thistle, was considered a preventive against plague. In "Much Ado About Nothing" Culpepper says that Carduus Benedictus was good against the "diseases of melancholy." A decoction used to be- made from its leaves, which are remarkable for their '"intense bitterness," and was said to be an excellent tonic. Its virtues are now discredited. The flower was dedicated to Thor, and the bright colour was supposed to come from the lightning, acd hence lightning would not hurt anybody protected by the flower. It was used a ...good deal in magic, and was one of the many aids to enable a maiden to discover the name of the one who loved her best. She had a thistle head- for each one, cut off the points of the thorns, gave a name to each, laid them under her pillow, and the one that was named after the right man put forth a fresh sprout.

G.W. (Arch Hill) writes: For the last two years the fruit on my peach trees has fallen off as soon as it began to ripen. Last year it was loaded, but none ripened. Can yon give me the reason and cure?—l cannot say what is exactly wrong, but from your description I should think it must be a poor variety, and the only way to get any to mature would be to pull off about two-thirds of the fruit, leaving only a sprinkling all over the tree to develop. A.F. (Auckland) writes: I have had for over three years two ferns in hanging baskets which now begin to show signs of deterioration. The roots are now a matted mass with no free soil, and with numerous oval corms interspersed, which so far I have failed to germinate when planted. What should be done to renew the vigour of the plants?— The "fern" you have is Asparagus Sprengeri. The corms, as you call them, are' just swollen roots, and there are no buds on them. I have never heard of its being possible to propagate from them. The best method is to procure some young, small plants. These can be obtained by seed, qr you could divide tne old plant. Seedlings are best; old plants divided up are old plants and lack the vigour of young seedlings. You could turn the plants out of the baskets and plant them in the garden. The only other method is to keep the plants in the basket going by feeding with liquid manure. They will stand any amount of this; in fact, they are one of the most insatiable plants. They seem to absorb soil and everything else, and instead of making tops they make masses of roots. INQUIRER (Onehunga) writes: (1) I intend growing a large quantity of aster, and would like to know the best way to prepare the soil and how to prevent wilting. (2) What is the 'best way to raise salvias? (3) Want to sterilise a quantity of soil. What is the best method? —(1) If you refer to raising seedling asters you require a fairly sandy, well-drained soil. There is no need for any manure, the ordinary soil is quite rich enough for seedlings. Asters seldom suffer from wilt in the seed-bed; it is only when transplanted into the flowering quarters that wilt appears. For producing good blooms of asters, you need rich and deeply-dug ground. Disbudding is also one of the chief factors in proeducing good aster blooms. (2) Soilca.n be sterilised by 'steam or fire heat. By steam the best way is to have some lengths of old pipes with holes drilled in them, connected with a boiler.- The soil to he sterilised should be placed over the pipes in a loose heap, covered with sacks, and then the steam discharged into the • soil until the heat is raised to a degree close on boiling point; it. must he sufficiently hot to kill insects, etc. Another method is by baking; this can be done by digging a fire hole in the ground, placing a sheet or sheets of iron on top, and the soil on this. The soil should be covered so as to keep the heat in. There is also the method of applying some chemical, such as formalin, carbon bisulphide, napthelene; these liquids are introduced into the ground, and the gases produced kill the insects, etc.