TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 263, 5 November 1932, Page 6 (Supplement)

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

C.E.-W. (Frankton) writes: I have sent a sample of soil from my garden. Last year I grew asters and zinnias in this portion, they did only moderate. During the autumn I took off the top spit, put on a layer of sheep manure, and replaced top soil. I planted phlox Drummondii which although in flower, are simply drying up. Another planting elsewhere from the same batch are doing well. A year or so ago a large palm stood on this plot, and I had it cut out because it had some nasty spikes on the leaves which were said to be poisonous. "Would there be any ill-effects from this palm? The trouble is that the palm has taken all the nourishment out of the soil. It has not poisoned the soil at all. The manure you put in has not yet become available, with the result that the plants are simply starving. When the manure has become available, which will be in a few months' time, you will find that the trouble will correct itself. Meanwhile give the bed an application of some complete fertiliser or plant food, this, mixed with the top soil and some water, would supply the deficiency until the other manure becomes available.

E.A.D. (Bemuera) writes: (1) I have some grape vines growing along a fence. As each bunch of grapes appeared on each spur I nipped out the tips two or three leaves beyond the fruit. Now they are producing more shoots. How do X treut these? (2) A seedling apple tree came up. I cut it down to eighteen inches from the ground, leaving three buds at the top, facing in different directions. The top bud is growing upright. What should I have done to make it grow more horizontal? (3) Are the enclosed millepedes? I think they are eating carrots and other seedlings. What can be done to destroy them?—(l) The lateral and sub-lateral shoots should be stopped just beyond the first leaf. When the vines are in flower do no stopping, but wait until the berries have set. (2) It is the natural habit of growth. If you wished to train it horizontal you will have to put stakes and tie the branch down. If you wish it to make further lateral shoots let it grow to about a foot high and then pinch out the top. (3) They are millepedes. Treat the soil with horticultural naphthalene, scattering it close to, but not on, the plants, and work it in with the hoe.

AMATEUR (Mt. Eden) writes : (1) Enclosed herewith is a sample of rotted cow manure taken from soil underneath a crop of dwarf beans. The manure when put in was fresh and clean. The crop came up and made rapid growth until the last few days, when the majority wilted. The leaves turned yellow, with a brown rust appearing. Investigation showed that the stalk underneath the ground had been eaten and the roots had turned brown. The manure is full of grubs, and is probably the cause of the trouble. Can you tell me the name of the grubs, and will they attack other roots and crops, as I have placed the same manure in trenches beneath butter beans, peas, tomatoes, and lettuce. So far. these have not been effected, although the butter beans are not making the growth they should? (2) I have an iron drum which contained bitumen. an 3 which I intend to use for liquid manure. Will it be necessary to burn this off before using, or can it be left on as a preservative? Will it have any detrimental efffect on the plants to which it is applied? (3) Would you advise using liquid manure for the following crops, which are well established, and how often?— Tomatoes, onions beet, carrots, parsnips, and beans?—<l) The trouble ie due to the method of applying the manure In layers. Manure, to be or value, should be well mixed with the soil, the better it is mixed the more use it is to plants. The grubs sent are not the cause, they are to be found on decaying matter almost anywhere. The effect of the manure was to produce a soft weakly plant, and a fungoid disease known as bear rust, present practically wherever beans are grown, completed the job. The effect on the other crops I cannot be sure of. but if the manure has been used for root crops, and is not well down, the roots will be forked and of poor quality. It may not hurt the tomatoes or lettuce, although it would be inclined to cause a rank growth in the tomatoes. When the crop is off make a point of digging over the plot with the garden fork, and, in doing so, well break up and mix 'the manure and soil. I think you will find that this will cure the trouble. (2) The bitumen will not be sufficient to harm, that is provided that the drum has been allowed to drain, and there is no surplus in the bottom. (3) Yes. Liquid manure can be used on all vegetables, and is the best means of applying -manure. Use it weak, and apply once or twice a week. A.G. (Grey Lynn) writes: I have been trying to grow a passion vine. It grew well and made a shoot quite twelve feet long, then It started to die frcm the top and completely dried up. Can you give the reason, and could I plaht again?—lt must be due to the position or soil being wrong. Work the soil deeply, and give a dressing of powdered sulphur. If soil 1b heavy or wet add some sand. You could plant now. When plants have commence to grow, and at intervals afterwards, spray with lime-sulphur, 1 —125.

W.C.S. (Newton) writes: A Poorman orange tree, the last two seasons had quite a good number of oranges on, but when they were as large as peas they all dropped. Three years ago it had quite a good crop of oranges?—l cannot say the exact cause of the oranges dropping off. Spray with lime-snlphur, 1—125, after the ' fruit has set. Maybe a dose of manure would helo. Do not dig with a spade close to the tree, as it makes a mass of fibrous roots close to the surface, and, if these are damaged, it often causes the fruit to drop. ASPARAGUS (Devonport) -writes: (1) I bought some asparagus plants, but they do not seem to be doing any good. I am. told that there is a special way to grow them. Could you advise me? (2) Would saltpetre or salt kill the roots of a tree that keeps shooting, or what would? (1) Asparagus needs a deeply worked welldrained and rich soil. As a rule asparagus is grown in specially made-up beds, because in this way the best returns! are obtained, there is no reason to .think, however, that asparagus will only grow in beds. If you have not made up a special bed your best plan is to plant the crowns in your garden, let them grow this season, and prepare a bed before next season. It will be necessary to put stakes, and tie up the growths. Asparagus crowns, when bought, are often very slow in getting started, the roots that get broken and are exposed to the air mildew badly, and the plants suffer until new roots are formed. If growing in your own garden, lifted and replanted at once this does not occur. Direction will be given later on how to prepare an asparagus bed. It is too late this season to do the job properlyj! (2) It might kill the tops if applied heavily enough, but would not harm the roots. You do not say what the tree is. Cutting off the shoots as soon as they appear above the ground is simple and sure, even though it is a little tedious, and may appear to be forever when first' started. A.C.P. (St. Helier's Bay) writes: Enclosed you will find a cutting of one of my gooseberry bushes. They are two-year-old trees: last year having little or no fruit on them, and have made very little growth since. This year they are just as bad as far as fruit is concerned. I sprayed them with' lime-sulphur two months ago. I can place a piece of wire fully six inches down the stem of some. (1) Would it be best to cut the bushes down? (2) Can you tell me any effective treatment for same? (3) What is the present trouble? (4) Js it necessary to stake young Cape gooseberry trees? (5) When should they be sprayed, and what with?—(l) No. (2) Squirt some petrol from a small oil feeder into the hole and plug with clay. (3) Borer. (4) No. In fact it would be a difficult job. The most that can be done Is to place some twiggy sticks around the plants to i support the branches. (5) Spray with lime-sulphur, 1-125. Spraying is a preventive. and should be done when plants are small, and at intervals until plants are in bloom. OTAHUHU writes: Would you advise how to treat, plant and cultivate solsify, scoryonera, beet, carrot, parsnip, lettuce nnd cabbage so as to collect the seed. I have heard that lettuce should be cur and the second growth allowed to seed. Also that pumpkin seed should be two years' old before sowing.—The growing of vegetables for seed purposes is a very highly specialised business, and although it is possible for the small to save seed of one or two lines, to attempt to carry it through the list cneans that as an adjunct to the kitchen the vegetable garden would cease to exist. In other words, either it would mean you cannot grow seed and vegetables as well. First, the cultivation must be as good as possible, and rather better, if anything, than is given to the ordinary crop, as the characteristics of «ach plant must be fully developed. Root crops, such as parsnips and biennial, the roots are lifted when fully mature, and the ones showing the true form and freedom of disease and selected and replanted. With lettuce the cultivation is of the best, and to prevent "balling" of the head when the selected seed plants are chosen the head is slashed across the top; this spoils the head as a vegetable, but allows the flower stems to push out. Cabbage belongs to a family that is so easily insect fertilised by weeds, such as charlock, wild turnip, wild mustard, that special precautions are necessary to have it grown in a "clean" district. Many of the vegetable seeds are produced in this country or in England, but probably in the average vegetable garden are plants raised from seeds that have been produced in many different parts of the world. The amount of seed used, and the low cost that is necessary to supply the average garden is such that the cost to produce one's own seed would be out of all proportion, with the added risk of a - crop failing through deterioration of stocks. Two-year-old pumpkin seed does not germinate better than new seed, but experiments with' melons showed that old seed gave plants which produced a larger proportion of fertile blooms, hence the plants gave a better crop. If this applies to pumpkins I cannot say, as I do not know of any experiments in that direction.