TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 217, 13 September 1930, Page 6 (Supplement)

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Correspondents will frreatlv ohlise by observing the roilowinc rules In sendintr questions for publication In tues-e columns:— i —Letters snouic): be in not later than Tuesday to oe answered the same week —addressed to Garden Editor. ."Star" Office, Auckland. a—Write on one side of the paper, ana make all communications a3 concise as possible. oot *7~ Klowe i rs - etc - & ent ror naming, must tie sent separately, and, U possible, packed in a tin gr wooden box—cardboard boxes are very liable to be broken In transit and the contents damaged. 4—The mil name and address of the sender must always be sent, but a nom He plume or initial may be ifivon for publication.

lIAURAKI (Takapuna) sends some blooms for Identification.: — (1) Emperor, (2) Empress, (S) White Lady, (9) Argent:, (12) Barri eonsnlcuuß. Apparently some of the flowers were not enclosed as the numbers wore nof. ir. sequence.

R.W.B. (Woodvllle) sends a lemon and also n twig for examination. —The cause of tin; dark blotches on the stem, and also the markings on the fruit, are due to withertip. It attack;; leaves, buds, blossom.-;, laterals, and fruit. All dead wood should be cut out, and the trees sprayed with Bordeaux 3—4—50 at the blossom full of the main crop, and also at blossom full of the autumn crop. Drainage and insect control should receive attention. -The fungus overwinters on dead wood ou the tree and lying on the ground.

LAWN (Kemuera) writes: I have a lawn laid down about two years ago, upon which large and spreading patches of pennyroyal have developed. Can you recommend any treatment?— Pennyroyal is usually a sign of wet ground, and as a' rule draining will net rid of it. The only other way is' to dig it out and resow the patches. It will need attention for • a year or so, and whenever a niece is seen it must be pulled out. Sulphate of ammonia annlied over the ton of the patch would check the weed, but it would come stronger than ever once it got away again. IRIS (St. Helier's Bay).—l have had some dozens of winter irises for abmit three years, and each year only about four blooms are produced. Would this be clue to wrong treatment, or are they naturally shy in flowering? Should they be lifted or left undisturbed?— They are naturally shy in flowering. The bulbs should he lifted as soon as the foliage goes yellow, and the bulbs thoroughly dried in the sun. They should be kept dry until about May, then planted. Left in the ground from year to year, few blooms are produced. J.M. (Te Aroha) writes) I have an orange tree which has carried good crops until two years ago. Last year it had half a dozen on. this year none. The tree looks quite- healthy. What is the cure for barrenness?—lt must be due to want of manure. Annl.v about one ounce of sulphate of potash and four ounces of superphosphate to the square yard of area below the branches. Bonedust or blood and bone can be used in place nf superphosphate, or a ready mixed manure could be used. In addition give about an ounce to the square yard of sulphate of ammonia in spring and again in midsummer. ANXIOUS (Waikato) writes: (1) I bought two dozen tulip bulbs this year, and all but three have come up with only one leaf. Can you fell me the cause? (2) Four flowers for identification, and value of bulbs commercially V—(1) It is due to the bulbs being weak; there was no flower bud formed last season. You will have to grow them on for a year or so to allow them to get strong enough to flower. (2) The names are: Sulphur Phoenix, sulphur double; Orange Phoenix, white and orange double; Sir Wntkin, single daffodil; Leucojum aestivalis, 'snowflake. The would vary according to size, etc., but would be about £5 a thousand named, and £1 a thousand mixed. SUPER (Otahuhuj writes:—l have sown a quantity of French beans and have used super at tbe rate of one pound to four yards. • Is that 'sufficient to ensure quick growth? Can anything be done to force the- plants, and is there any way of preventing, the rust? —You have used quite enough super, and to attempt'tp further force the beans would probably result in failure. The rust can be controlled 1/ spraying with lime surphur. Dustings <>i! dry sulphur on the soil and over the plants will also keep off the rust. Rust is aggravated by cold, wet conditions, and if -such should prevail the result is that the plants vire checked in growth and are less able to withstand the disease. M. (Green Lane) asks: (1) The meaning of Fleur-de-lys? (2) How to propagate tree tomatoes?—(l) Fleur-de-lys is a change borne in the French Royal arms since the days of Charles VI. It is applied to the Iris delavayi, a water-loving species that is more or less common throughout Europe, which is supposed to resemble the Fleur-de-lys, and is usually accepted as the national emblem of France. It is said to derive its adoption as an emblem from the fact that its yellow flowers indicated a ford, over a difficult river, to a king who was hard pressed by the Saracens. This account is not necessarily authentic. (2) Tree tomatoes are propagated by seed. Sow seed about the same time and in a similar manner accorded the ordinary tomato. T.M.B. (Wanganui) writes: Would you advise me of a cheap and thoroughly effective method of ridding a bowling green of worms? 1 have been told that lime and water will destroy the worms. What sort of lime would it be? Could you also suggest a method of combating clover in the green? You will find that there is no cheap and 'effective method of getting rid of worms in a bowling green. Lime water made by slaking quicklime will bring the worms to the surface but will not kill them; they can be gathered up and destroyed. The lime water will encourage the clover, and this is a great disadvantage. Mercuric chloride, a solution of 1-1000, will also kill the worms, but it is expensive to use on a large area. The use of nitrogenous manures, such as . sulphate of ammonia, will get rid of the clover. The sulphate can be applied in powder form nt the rate of half an ounce to the square yard or it can he dissolved in water and applied in liquid form. I think if you find the worm destroyer effective it would be best to continue to use it. although i more expensive.

A.L. (Olahuhu) writes : I have just planted ! a hedge of l'ittosporiiin ernsslfollum. The plants arc lull unci lanky nnd no branches at the base of the tree*. Would it be advisable to cut tlinin off ; near the ground (o make them branch out , / —Wait till the plants have startedto root and are making new leaves, then cut them off at about eighteen iiiches from the ground level. MOW CHUM (Otaliuliu) writes: I purchased a .section and bach on the beach and have since discovered that ' the hedge around the section is alive with fleas. How can I get rid of the peat;— Spray with lime-sulphur solution 1—75. The scattering of a soil fumlgnut such as iia)>thulen« about their haunts will soon gut rid of them. The most important matter, however, is to get rid o£ tic rubbish. Clean up all rubbish, old leaves, grass, etc., "and you would not be troubled with the insects.

GUATEFUL (Grey Lynn) writes-: I have a basket of Aspuragus sprengerii. .1 have had it for three years, ft is not doing well. Should I take it out, divide it unci repot? Is blood and bone manure good for it?— The . asparagus has, been too h.ng in the basket and the so-1 is exhausted. Take it out, divide it info three or four or more pieces, Tiiul rebusket it with fresh soil. The best manure is to dissolve a small toa.spoonful of sulphate of ammonia in water nnd apply .this as a liquid- manure, or the sulphate can be sprinkled on the soil and watered in. Use this about once a month.

QUANDARY (Onehunga) asks: (1) What manure to use on an autunin-sown lawn which is not coming away very woll? (2) What to topdress a live-yea r-old lawn with? (3) 1 propose to sow grass in an orchard and to keep it mown, leaving a circle of clear ground round each tree; will this be satisfactory?— (1) Give a dressing of sulphate* of ammonia at the rate of half an ounce to the square yard. Mixing the-manure with some line soil will make it more easy to spread. (2) Topdress with super and also give a dressing of sulphate of ammonia as advised above. (3) The result will be all right for a year or so, but us a permanent job it is a failure so far as fruit is concerned.-

MEAT VERSUS VEGETABLES.

The substitution of vegetables' foi meat as articles, of food wouid have been a counsel of .perfection in the sixteenth century, the price of vegetables being then, in many cases, prohibitive. There were no kitchen gardens in England at, that time. Only in 1500 were carrots and turnips first imported from Flanders, while the cauliflower was unknown until 1588, when it was introduced from Egypt, Turnips, however, were well known by the end of the sixteenth century, and those grown at Hackney became celebrated. The potato was also introduced about the same time, but cost 1/ a lb.