ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16050, 16 October 1915, Page 4 (Supplement)

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

" Novice," Devonport : As the majority of evergreen climbing and twining plants are most grown in pots during the spring months after the heaviest of the winter rains are past and the soil and weather become warmer is the best time to plant, thef start into growth immediately. The deciduous varieties, including wisterias, clematises, some of the bignonias, niandevilleas, and a few others should be planted in the winter whilst they are dormant. Virginian creepers or ameplopsis may be planted almost any time, even after they nave started into growth. Now is the best time to plant cobsea scandens, mina lobatas, this is •an extremely showy autumn and early winter flowerer. Bougainvilleas. jasminiam grandiflorum, solanums, passifloras, evergreen, bignonias all succeed well planted in September and October. L.P., Mount Eden : There is a very small variety of the climbing fig called '"minima," which is a very much slower grower and exceedingly interesting and much more suitable for places in the rockery. The ordinary variety is too coarse and strong a grower for the rockery unless kept well under control. Diplacus glutinosa would be most suitable for growing in the corner against the front of the house, between the bay window and steps. It grows to a height of about sft-, and , produces an abundance of pretty flowers for several months .in succession. . It is an evergreen, and not subject to insect pests. j S.G. : Names of specimens are Canavallia bonariensis, a pretty climber. Tama- i rix plumosa, with pink "flowers; Statice; macrophylla, the blue everlasting, and Diervilla rosea, the shrub with rosecoloured blossoms. Kepos. HINTS TO GARDENERS. Those suburban gardeners who have handy spray pumps can use them effectively as spreaders of liquid fertilisers. Sulphate of potash dissolved in water at the rate of an ounce to the gallon has a stimulating effect when sprayed upon potatoes or any kind of beans. It helps also to produce good blooms in most flowers, and it also acts as a preventive of disease. Nitrate of soda dissolved in water at the rate of l£oz to the gallon sprayed upon lawns or upon lettuce, cabbage, or similar vegetables, improves their growth and deters insect pests. In a wet season like this boxes filled with good soil and well manured and placed in warm sheltered situations enable gardeners not only to grow seedlings free from slugs, but to grow successfully tender lettuce and crisp salad plants. As a guide to the first spraying for codlin moth in apples, it may "be said that the calyces are in a proper condition to receive the spray when about 75 per cent, of the blooms have cast their petals. Just after these have fallen, the calyx cavity is wide open, and only during this period can iw be filled with poison. About a week later the green sepals commence to fo'd over, and these provide a barrier against any further introduction of poison into the calyx. A rule which is sometimes followed, and which also may be recommended as a guide, to spraying, is to watch the central flower of the clusters These usually are the first to open, and what is of more importance they almost invariably set fruit while some of the others may fail to hold. Consequently if spraying is timed to take place just as the central calyces are about to close a high percentage will be caught just'm the right condition. The dwarf butter beans, of which there are several varieties, are a very profitable investment, and every vegetablegrower ought to find room for a row or two of them. They produce pods equally as long as those borne bv the climbing "butters," and the fact that they are stnngless means that there is no waste ihey come to maturity very quickly, and so long as the pods are picked regularlv each plant will produce a large number of beans, the length and width of which can be appreciably increased bv ample i irrigation in the thirsty period and feeding with liquid manure. A trait peculiar to these dwarf beans is that, although all I the seeds may germinate, very rarely do all dove.op into fruiting plants. Some after they get well above the ground, 20 011 strike and decline to budge. At seed ing time, therefore, it is' necessary to make provision accordingly. An excellent way to grow butter beans and some of the other beans as well maybe briefly "plained thus. The seed is sown in drills 4ft apart, with about lft between the beans. Soon after the eeedlings show up the ground is carefullv hoed, and when they attain a height of 6m it is ridged up to them a s much as one would treat potatoes, but with a lower ridge. By the time the plants are 18111 high, and waving their slender ends in search of support, the tips aretpinehed ? ut - 1,1 ' leor / the - are i us nipped off between the finger and thumb: but in practice on a large scale a man comes along with a keen-edged sickle and Quickly slashes off the ends. Later laterals or side shoots appear, but they, too are pinched off at the tip until eventually the beans, instead of forniig tall, graceful vines become just compact, dense bushes wnicli bear enormous quantities of pood' qua.ity rather short, thick-set produce* row 11 in this fashion the plants are less susceptible to drought; thev are more easily gathered, rather more prolific and what is of still greater importance in the B " de ' TOOEr