Have You Any Problems?

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 29, 4 February 1939, Page 14 (Supplement)

Have You Any Problems?

PENSIONER writes: (1) Enclose<J is a clover-like plant which is taking possession of a neighbour's grass paddock and has now after some years got onto our land. My neighbour ploughed his paddock and sowed it down well last year, but it is a menace. Do you know 'anything of itT (2) A punga fern'tree-we. have in our garden .is. dying slowlylt is Sft high and. fresh. fronds it puts out wither away. ' .One punga 20ft away h ; flourishing. Is thcre\ anything I can | do to 8a ve it 7 (1) It is oxalis. The-, only means of • controltin cultivated ground is to keep - the tops cut-off. by.-means^of the hoc. The only • way ;to clean out>a,paddock would <be 'by ' ploughing, and .'cultivating for a season or two. (2) I cannot say exactly what is; wrong, but occasionally the centre is attacked with a disease which causes the fronds-to .die off: as fast as they uncurl. This'/is followed . by ~ the whole of the centre decaying. There is' little you can do unless try spraying'the centre with lime-sulphur. 1—120..,.: Whether this will be effective in checking the trouble I do not know, but; it is worth 'trying. + + + + M. (Matamata) tells me: I have a pair of Chinese gooseberry vines, one being in full fruit. The new growth is luxuriant and I want to know whether I should-in any way prune back the new shoots; also, if so, whether that should be done now or in the urinter and the extent to which such pruning should be effected. Reduce the weak lateral growths to about three leaves. If the vine has reached its limit, then the leaders or main shoots can be stopped. Actually little or no pruning is required beyond that which will keep the vine within bounds and to reduce any weak shoots and cause the formation of flower buds, which take -the form-of -«iiorfc~!spttr-3ike-eKmaths.

a T.R. (Kamo) says: On my farm at Kamo g • there are some tarairc trees which l- Jiave been left for ornamental purposes, 's During the last three years a great r number of these trees have become t unhealthy in appcarance and have a died. I notice that the upper trunk of trees and also the branches are r badly tufccted with a growth (a h sample of which is enclosed). This r growth is usually so thick that the s bark o/ the tree cannot be seen ii through xt. I shall be grateful if you can tell me of something to safeguard the trees which still remain, also to J have your reply to the following c WshoHs: (1) What is the growth? 1 ; s any non-poisonous spray * which would kill itl (3) Is there anu spray which would kill it? 2 t one of *-he climbing native' 2 ferns. (2) I expect you would find that • 0lll(1 cljcck -it, if not kill it outright. > (3) Caustic soda, lib to 10 gallons of 1 S"" 1 r; ou l fl kiu lt - Ido not think that 1 + £ hc •rn oul d make any difference 3 to the taraire trees.- - Rather it is due to t the removal of the natural shelter and the consequent exposure to drying winds. + + + + INTERESTED, READER ioritcs: I am f ' sending you dahlia leaves which have been attacked by some disease and would like your advice on how to deal with-it. The plants as they grow are getting over it and some have recovered. I am wondering if the soil tcan/s treating,.-as I-have given shoots of the same bulbs to friends atid they have not had, any. sign of it. The soil is medium light and I dug in lawn clippings up till, about cix weeks before planting arid well rotted stock manure at planting. It is a disease that attacks young dahlias and is due to a small insect. Eventually the plants get over it and do well unless it is too severe. It has nothing to do with not think there is - any- way to> , treatp'it*. successfully. J