TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 57, 7 March 1936, Page 6 (Supplement)

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

G B.W. (Mount Albert) asks: How-to deal -with the disease as found on the enclosed specimen of a lemon. The scaly appearance is now affecting quite a large number, and hare sprayed with milestone, lime and water, but there is not much improvement?— Due to citrus verrucosis, a fungoid disease, leaves and fruit are susceptible when very small, hence spraying must be done very early to be effective. The spraying with Bordeaux will control tho disease on the next crop, but no measures are effective against the present affected fruits. 3.J. (Devonport) asks: Re planting a lawn (1) Shall I put in manure and lime now or with the grass seed; (2) when is the best time to put in the grass seed ; would it be too soon now?—(1) Add lime and manure now; (2) sow seed in April. NQUIRER (Brown's Bay) asks: How many pounds of danthonia semiannularia should be sown to the acre?— In a mixture 81b to 101b. )TO (Otorohanga) writes: (1) Tomato plants are doing well; some have four sets of fruit, one cluster has 21 fruits. The leaves are very long; should I pick any of the leaves off or leave them to wither? (2) Enclosed sprig of a tree, a splendid shelter tree with very dense growth, but does not make seeds; would it grow from cuttings?—(l) There should be no need to cut off any leaves just yet. (2) Retinospora ericoides. It will grow from cuttings, planted in autumn, in sandy soil, and shaded till rooted. AMATEUR (Ponsonby) asks: The best time to prune solanum, also ficus, which needs several prunings during the year? -—Prune the solanum in late winter or early spring. The licus you refer to is tiie small climbing Ficus stipulata. This can be cut now, again in spring, and if necessary also about midsummer. C.T. (Westmere) writes: I often see interesting articles on layering carnations. I would be grateful if you would give me information about cuttings?— Carnation cuttings can be taken now. Choose the healthy green shoots about half-ripe, that is, the leaves at the base should be fully developed, but should not have fallen and left a hard, woody base. Tho base should be cut clean with a sharp knife just below a pair of healthy, fully-developed leaves. The stem can be slit from the base upwards for about a quarter of an inch. The extreme tips of the leaves should be cut square across. Make up a bed of pure sand or sandy soil, firm it well and water. Then insert the cuttings. It is best to make this cutting bed up in a shallow frame, as this makes it much easier to attend to it. _ Then insert the cuttings, give a watering to settle them in. then shade. This shading must be kept on until cuttings are rooted and no further watering should be necessary. Carnation cuttings should be matured, but not hard. Insert as soon as possible after making, plant in watered soil, use sand or sandy soil, water, shade and apply no further water till rooted. HELIO (Takapuna) writes: An orange tree has gone off the last three months and now about half its branches are dead. It is about 20 years old and has borne abundantly the last three years. Could it be transplanted?— You had bettor cut away all dead branches, collect and burn them, then spray the tree with lime sulphur 1-120. I think it is due to "die back," and the wet, stormy season may have had something to do with it. If the tree is lopsided when tin' dead .branches, have beeu cut away, trim up the other side to help to balance it. Any > other citrus trees handy should be sprayed.