ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 50, 27 August 1931, Page 25

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

"•Citron."—The leaves of the lemon treo you sent.were .damaged by frost, otherwise were perfectly healthy. It has to bo borne in ■ mind that bur climate ia hardly warm enough for..citrous fruits, except in exceptionally favoured positions. These trees will not;stand much frost or cold wind. Whilo they require plenty of moisture the drainage must bo perfect, so that no surplus water lies at the roots. A top dressing of cow manure, or better still occa- • sional doses of liquid manure made from cow manure, will help the plant along.: '"K3.K—I-cannot tell you the disease Which is affecting .your onions. The same trouble seems to "hate been more prevalent this season than usual. Prom your remarks" it seems evident that the trouble is in the soil, and I'Should advise giving it a strong , dresßtafe ot.totHe salt and refraining from gromhg. onlonjffor at least one season/Salt ls *i^Wa*'J«UPUr]fierV:Aiia does at>t burn. out.th«hUWus s as.(iUlck-Umß dots. It must b*":*em6tnb»ea ■ that It-is: necessary for the SftU to b6«»Bhea out or the soli before any crop.can be grown. If the salting is. : ■ done. now the spring rains should wash it-away, and'the ground be fit for use late in the season. You would be wise to send some of your onions to the Department of /■Agriculture, asking them to dlagnos«;the.disea«e and give you a cure. ' "D-"^-"*rYour i . l baftk might.,be turfed, and if topdMs«fe4, E »fth;;Anne -5611':mm'kept melst during the hot': .weather,.' the turf should knit; ana.ißroW^all right with. animal- tbjtattMlng »«ia"- vapplle»tl6nS-of sOlphatb 6f ani(noni»ii: ; ;Aß SOU say tt,J» iiot Xinwork- . , able wtth: Si lawh-tftower: this would1 probably BB;:;th6>-test-course to pursue. It Would. 6V<lmp<*slb)e to tloep a coaling.. oE sail. on the sfnooth clay—it Would wash ; away wjth the flrst heavy .rain. If yon v wUhe4.>yousicould sow clover on the" turf: before'.topafesiilnt. Miseimbtyanthemum or Gafonta fere suitable-For pUnttng on such a bank. If planted at the tcip they would graduilly-»«ena downwards and cover tho whole df H.. ■^BaWM^'^s'^'nialiuite 'for' .U(rßt iaajidy'BbllSi EtawSea-is'excellent, cbhtainihg potash and nitrogen in varying quantities. It also : supplies the Very necessary immUS, While the salt containM-in it is a splendid purifier. It takes a good-time to rdti 3d should be ■■;flug in deeply; >'Itis beneficial for all kinds of vegetable crops. . .'..,., ,;,-'■ "Jr"."—The ,soapy Valet,you mejMotv: ihaJ-'Tl.e used fdr. k ;cabbagc>, rhubarb;: ctti.;: provided .It is well dilated; first,, say 1 part to 4 of water. If ueed'.tbo strong: the caustic soda %Ith which, the*,-soap Js;made -woUld^'do' ■nariftSo'the plants. I Cannot say acftnltcly, ;whitf'ttanUrial value it vwOiild have. It . WotM b»' wtotft'CXyhlle experimenting, /uf.in£ the BokpSUds 6n?B6me rows only and noting the results.--1-Should be pleased t6 know what eflect/.tlf any, they have. ■ .'•■'■■ ' I*, ■ :;> ■ ' .*»

Although , Witufiin or early winter is the :pest time-to do fen,6>ation -work in the'.'estaliiiahea..border.,'^arlj^ spring provides the fsS«fto4d mpsV;farbitrable opportunity* fe'^h*fl! Vp'utting;' ,4<W plants iwto:thjl; bor^f;oiie uiust iMar' injminAthenltaiftat'e; Viie to which they; wilivJgrOw: IToir' instance,- delphmiUins, when first planted may te only seedling plants and qiiitfe small, but they will sobni groW ittto lafge clumps arid rise to ,'a considerable ' height. Ere long they -«:ill.f;be;.JsresSea for room b.fen' though'planted two febb apart. In all plaiittag it is better to.group .numbers of the-same family togothei-irather tliau. to;Sseatter them promiscuously, over• the'yspace. Yet the grouping should aotcbe carried to the extent of making the^bed■ look like that in a nursery garden. Small herbaceous beds or bordettrlook well when three large plants are«sgronped together, but large beds •will'!1 effectively take groups of six or more plants. This does not apply to little things near the front of the bordeti where it sdinetinies takes a dozen' plaits to.mike ail effective grbup:- '■- An established border which, because it [needs no new plants,l has received littl'p or no attention during the previous winter, can well do with an overhaul. First, all weeds sh'ould^li6 t,eindeed, especially those wfiichi^ar^-'kpt^ tcvlfet it go on in a choked statei,through is-:]jetter to lift a particular plant,' divid?iit, and clear it from weeds, than toilet it go on in a choked state through another season. Then, if the bed needs it,^ some decayed :. manure '" should: be spread between, the plants and lightly foirked' a few inches beneath the surface'; It is'not important if; a few of the roots are disturbed, the' Manure an.a*'the stirring of the soil will be ample compensation. !i L ., ! -~;,-. v %V-y large clumps .of■ ,j .■perennialsj which have beconiei.^ery crowded will require to be lifi«dsand::aivided;;!:l The besfc .parts for repla'titing v aia'usually the': yourig; growfi^iroih; .t.K^^tsftt^vdi

the clump. All old, exhausted growth should be discarded.. Michaelmas daisies, lieleniums, arid other plants with a similar nature of growtli very qiiickty exhaust the- soil, .and unless divided every .second:'i .yparj.-show > unmistakable sighs 'of"deterioration. 'Before roplaiitiflg the ground should be Well dug and manured. It is always wiser, wherfc practicable, to replant, in a different position. Any gaps among the perennial plants' may well bo filled in ■with annuals as tho plants bceonio available. .•: ~•■.'•;■". ; l SEED SPWINU. The season; f ofcsowing aIL hardy an-' nuals has, arrived. ' The gttmnd is in an idtjal condition,for the purpose, having -got the recent sunshin*. Care riiusfc betaken to 'distinguish betweeav^haray" and "half hardy" 6r "tender" subjects. . The two latter should only be sown in boxes under glass, aja.they will not stand any exposure to frost br cold winds in the early stages. When seeds are sown where they are to flower—without transplanting—the soil should be well prepared; deeply dug and .Worked to a fine tilth.. It should bo clean and free from Weo.d seed, as if sown upon dirty and weedy soil'th^'j will not only be a source Of trouble1 toj keep clean but they will not prove so^successful. Sown thinly on good, cieari soil and thinned out they will show'a marked improvement both in quality and quantity of flowors» Tn«re -ate- so.in&ny really usefulatinu&ls';tHat It^oulcl impossible to mentioa;niore'than a-few: Among the niCst prolific, aftd MSelul for general purposes are calendulas. These have been greatly improved," and are hardly recoanisable as the sume as tho old marigolds, .There are several very .excellent hamed varieties, any of Which atd WelL w.orth grpwing. : , •■■.■-..*:•/ '-'><■ : fttK wonagrf Ul things, v£ or blobminffi;, andV^ie'n %ell'grown:.. Vwill cbhttatieto flftWet fof rseVeral months1. There;is. a, wide rangieiof coloujrs; aud in the. modern iace the flowers are ailioh lftfgor thftn'in tte.old varieties. These plants -do best in a. rather light, well'dratned soil in a : Warm situation. The 'various; k'iiids of' Icel4nd~'p'6i)p'ies ;are always popular, as they, eanvbo relied uppn : to • flower throughout the summer and'well on into the winter, fie ?^te^6r;*Sce ;,of .^uhbeam 168 is'a'greatittprovemen't on^nfeVorignial. Tlib flowers are larger, tho stalks longer and stouter, aud the colours fiibre varied. ' ' • ': ' :'■■ '■ ■■'■"■■ In antirrhinums, there is no compari-son-between the;old enapdragolis • a.nd the - pr4s6nt-day ,;atttir>hinuni.a t( ,-,.. ■• Seeds at plants'.^f 4hjf r"of "the'be.Jk)iilMul'?4qli" feate shades.-,ar.ot'?:obtainilble' lttjSe&Sjin frbin. a»y>s6|3Mak ; ;ar6 sb har^y.: that: it vS;'rditefc for M^ (iPt^.be anj^ :tatluresi::u;" 'S§^vk;'«4s^ # i!lv'■ -"''.■. Scdblotis areial^kyi: delightful. .The blooms being,-bornY on lonjg^iiy. stems are excellent for cutting, lasting a/ long time if kept well supplied with water. There are some beautiful new shades in thesei' flowers recently introduced) the best perhaps being a bright pink :is'sJle4.;.!.*'|ioy??iness.?^;>7.'^.li6' abdVo arc all tKorßugMyt hardy-anil may be_ sown 'outsiftfev' at itlie present^|timc Without ifea'r3f f&lfee,,,, alth<sugh,';%mesi&B are perhaps;,bdtter A9Wn in bpsSs and transplantefl/-': Ji- .;^'|sr;--: jf 'y.-j '■''■ '■ ' '■ ' ■ Petunias, pake-;-ijlendid- 'beddiiig plants,.remaining in. bloom for three or four months.. "The seed Of these shoiild be sown under glass, and tlio soedliligs ■bo' pricked ,put. into boxes vi good fine soil 6?' into nursery beds, which should be protected from. . frosts and cold winds. As the, plants grow, after beingTjeMed'Mfni&e branches' may be pegged down and 'they will' then root in and completely coyer the ground.