TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 99, 29 April 1933, Page 6 (Supplement)

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

T.B.C. (Onehunga) asks: Re Passion fruit, (1) What is the'lieKt method to rnise plants from seed? (2) Do they need pruning when established? (3) What form of manure suits them best? (4) Are there any varieties? If so, what would bo tho best marketable variety ? (5) In growing from seed, what would bo tho best month to plant?—(l) You can sow seed in the autumn in the open ground and transplant in spring, or sow two or three seeds where the plants nre to grow, afterwards thinning to one. They can also he sown in spring, (2) Thinning out oC weak shoots and cutting hack laterals to the main stem. (8) Bonedust. (4) There are two or three varieties of the ordinary passion fruit, but the common variety is the best for market purposes. (5) September or October arc the best months to plant. WHAIvA (Rotorua) writes: I have some seedlings of a dwarf delphinium, which grows about one foot high. When the plants are ready to plant out into a tied, how far apart will they need to be?— Plant 15 to 18 inches apart. BUFFALO (Mount Albert) risks: Can you tell me the way to rid my lawn of buffalo grass other than by digging it out? —As far as I know there is no way of getting rid of buffalo grass except by digging it out. GREENGAGE (Mount Eden) aslcs how to treat a Greengnge plum to make It fruit. It is about ten years old and has not made much growth, looks henltliy enough, has a few blossoms every year, but does not carry any fruit.—For the Greengage to succeed and make proper growth spraying during tho season to prevent disease and also applications of manure are necessary. To ensure fertilisation of the flowers-ahd a crop of fruit, other varieties of plums must he planted nearby, as the Greengnge is self sterile. The Burbanli or other Japanese plums jyill act as pollenators. J.B. (Grey Lynn) writes : Enclosed find two apples. Would you let me knbw the names of them?— No. 1, Five Crown Pippin ; No. 2, Pride of Australia. G. (Ponsonby) writes: I have a lilac tree and some time ago I sprayed it with kerosene emulsion. Now the leaves are curling up and falling off. The tree is about four feoi; high and has flowered fairly well, but not profusely. It appeared perfectly healthy till after spraving. Can you give me the reason and'remedy?—It is probably due to the sprav being a little too strong or the kerosene not thoroughly emulsified or mixed. However, it will be all right, as the premature falling oL' the leaves will not do much harm.

COUNTRY READS R (Frankton) writes: (1) I lmvc a lemon tree which never bore fruit until three years ago, when I read in your notes to treat it with nitrate of soda in the autumn and winter. The result is that it is looking much better, Ims started to grow, and is bearing fruit. I would like to know what further treatment to give it, and if 1 should cut some of the brandies off from the bottom. (2) Wlien should I plant Japanese fan palms and what treatment to give them to expedite their growth? (3) Is it wise to cut the top of cabbage trees? I have one that has crown very tall and obstructs the view.— (1) Give the lemon an application of some complete proprietary manure. There are several locally compounded manures advertised that are excellent. Any branches that are within a foot of the ground should be cut awdy. (2) riant now or in September. -Applications of manure will assist them. They will stand plenty of manure and water once they start to grow. (8) If the cabbage tree is too tall there is nothing to be done except cut it down. Cutting down tho tree will mean that two or three shoots will growout from the old stein. You can pull off all but one, and this will form a new head ; or you can let all the shoots grow and have a branched head. W.T, (Milford) writes: I have some anemones which have been up about a month. The leaves are now turning yellow. Could you tell me thft reason aud any way of preventing this? —Due to rust. Spray with lime-sulpliur, I—l2o. Two or three sprayings at intervals of ten days will he necessary. Dusting with powdered sulphur will also be effective, and quite harmless to the plants.

F.W.W. (Heme Bay) asks: Could you give any advice on two fig .trees. Several crops have set, but only grow half-size and then drop off. We have had about ten figs off both trees? —It is due to (he ligs not getting properly fertilised. This may be due to the variety or to the roots not being able to mature more fruit. The fig needs a well-drained soil and prefers a position close to the sea; tliis latter can ho rectified toy the application of a few handfuls o£ salt occasionally. Tho so-called fruit o£ the fig is actually the swollen base, the real tlowers are inside and are reached by a small fly entering at a small aperture at the apex of the fruit. Probably your trees will carry better crops as they get older. The fact that some fruit matures ia evidence that they can be fertilised. I should advise the application of salt and avoid digging or forking close around the tree.