CORRESPONDENCE

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 35, 10 August 1933, Page 17

CORRESPONDENCE

MANURES FOR DAHLIAS,

"Pharazyn."—Old cow manure would be tho best for dahlias, as it would last longer in the ground. Dry fowl manure could be used with advantage mixed with tlio top soil.: You would certainly be wise to get your beds ready as soon as possible, digging the manure well down, as this would allow time for tho whole to settle down beforo planting time. Dahlias are hungry plants, and repay for liberal feeding. Considering how they produce flowers in profusion over a period of four months, one does not grudge them their food. PURIRI, TOTARA, AND WATTLES NEAR THE SEA. . "Bays."—Although, neither totara nor puriri are . considered particularly suitablo for seasido planting, they will grow provided they, have good firm soil and1 adequate shelter from sea winds. There are many varieties of acacia (wattle), nearly all natives of Australia. They-withstand drought well, and bloom freely. Unless sheltered from prevailing winds they are liable to grow lop-sided. and to get badly cut on the exposed side., Most of them do fairly well on the eastern side of tho harbour and should grow with you. ACACIA VERTIOILATA AS A HEDGE PLANT. , A.H.—I have no personal acquaintance with Acacia " verticilata, but I understand it :is used somewhat extensively in Taranaki. Prom inquiries 1 gather that it is subject to a borer and is also ; attacked by a grut> which gums the foliage or twigs together, spoiling its appearance. 3?roirt personal observation I should place Escallonia exoniensis in the first place as a hedge plant. It is evergreen, has quite attractive flowers and foliage, is clothed to tho ground, and grows rapidly without getting out 0/ hand. It.will'also stand plenty of cutting and is not expensive. ... Re native birches—correctly beeches. It is true that in large plantations or where they are growing naturfally in forests, they take everything out of the ground and most of the undergrowth dies out, but you would not have any trouble in this direction, in a garden where, a certain amount of manuring is always being done. GUELDER ROSE AND SNOWBALL . TREE. , "Interested."—The Guelder Rose is known botanically as Viburnum opulus. It has panicles of wliito flowers not unlike hydrangea, only the heads are flat. Tho flowers are folldwed by red berries and the foliage takes on showy autumn tints. Tho snowball tree is Viburnum opulus variety sterile. • The flowers aro also white in closely packed heads, quite round like a ball. This variety doea not have berries, but the foliage goes beautiful colours in the autumn and winter. Either of them is suitable for your locality, being perfectly hardy. They grow to about 10 feet high. As to which is the more showy is a matter of opinionj probably the former when well grown. It also ha 3 the advantage of tliq berries. Both varieties are sometimes called "Guelder Bose."