TO CORRESPONDENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20560, 10 May 1930, Page 5 (Supplement)

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

" Fruit," New Lynn.—Reply in next week's issue. G F , Feilding.—Burned bones and wood ashes applied as top-dressing for the flower and kitchen garden, where tho soil. is of a retentive nature, is highly beneficial. F.J.L., Mauku.—Tho names of native specimens arc:—l. Freycinetia Banksii. the kiekie, a climbing plant, leafy at the ends of the branches. Tho leavea are about 2ft.

lons, with cylindrical spikes of fruits. The young spikes make a sweet preserve and the leaves are used for basket-making. The flowers are iinisexed. It is plentiful in dense, moist forests and belongs to a tropical order. 2. This is Cyathodes accrosa, the mingimingi. a large hush with Bmall white berries. There is a form with pink berries, a common hardy shrub throughout the Dominion, belonging to tho order ericeae.

Napier.—The constituents of your soil, containing probably too much lime, ore accountable for lilac tree not flowering. Lilacs succeed best in a fairly moist, loamy soil and cool situation. " Kapai," Leigh.—Springdale is an aphisresistant apple of large round, even shape and most highly coloured. It i 3 a very lata keeping variety. The is very firm and of second-rate quality. A.J., Cambridge.—ln preparing ground for planting tomatoes in tho spring, an application of about Boz. per square yard is a safe and economical dressing. Apply during the winter. A dusting around each plant when planting is also advised. J.T.S., Mount Eden.—To increase the stock of gerberas, tako up and divide the old clumps and replant in your light Boil in July. Keep thb crowns with tho surface. Rotted stable manure is the best to mix with tho soil when replanting 8., obtain a new supply o;i lobelias for next planting season, cut the tops of those that have about complete*!, their flowering. They will make new growth and enable you to secure good plants by dividing the old roots and replanting. H.W., Kihikihi.—Delphinium leaves are affected with odium, a species of powdery mildew. Spray the foliage with Bordeaux mixture or other effectual fungicide, Tho dwarf-growing, slender plant is an inconspicuous rock plant resembling tho Selagineila genus. " Correspondent," Okailiau. Tho largo pippin-shaped fruit is Giant Jeniton, a most valuable apple, that should bo grown in every home garden collection. The emallerribbed, highly-coloured apple is a variety aclled Striped Lady Carrjngton. It ia of no special merit. Sorrel," To Akau.—To kill sorrel in flower garden,' fork over the ground and bring as many of tho sorrel roots as possible to the surface and apply a heavy dressing of quicklime. For the lawn apply a dressing of sulphate of amiQpnia with a third of sulphate of iron, which will also destroy other weeds. "Walnut," Onewhero.—Tho best Bystem is to dig up the young walnut tree with as much of tne tap root ijitact as possible. Early in June will bo soon enough to transplant the tree. Dig a hole sufficiently deep to tako the whole of the roots intact. Any portions that are injured with the spado in tho lifting should bo cut off. " Miss E.H.," Paroti.—The names of the apples are:—l. The large and extremely showy, ovenly-shaped fruit is Tasma a Tasmanian-raised seedling, originally called Democrat. 2. This is almost identical with Salome, an importation from America. 3. This is a variety called Brighton, It is of local origin and is a long-keeper of excellent quality. Tho writer is unabta .to account for the transparency that occurs in soma of the varieties. The old stone pippin is very eubject to this defect. " Orchardist,'' "Warkworth. The apple leaves are attacked with tho black spot fungus (Fusicladium dentritichum). a common apple disease, damaging to the foliage and fruit. The only remedy is to spray during tho winter with Bordeaux mixture, the 6-4-40 formula, or lime sulphur. Tho caustic soda-alkali solution at full winter strength is another good spray. This is most effective. It is also a bark cleanser. Although all fruit trees are better when free from grass and weeds around them, the grass is not accountable for the disease. Give, another spraying of Bordeaux mixture early in tho spring, when ' the buds are swelling. Kefos.