POPULAR SHRUBS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21414, 11 February 1933, Page 8 (Supplement)

POPULAR SHRUBS

ESCALLONIA FLORIBUNDA Escallonia floribunda is now conspicuous among ornamental, evergreen, flowering, hardy shrubs. Its pure white, showy flowers are freely produced in terminal corymbs, every shoot carrying a bunch of flowers. It is a native of New Granada and is often catalogued under the synonym of Montevidensis. Every ornamental shrubbery should contain specimens of this species. Planted on the side of a sloping bank it is very effective, being a good dry weather resister and lasting in flower for a long time. Many locally-grown shrubs are now in full flower. LANTANAS Lantanas are popular ever-blooming shrubs producing the greatest profusion of brightly colour verbena-like flowers almost throughout the year. They thrive in any hot, dry situations where many other shrubs would fail. They will not succeed where heavy frosts occur, but as they grow rapidly where planted as soon as the frosts are over thsy give a good summer display. The variety Chelsea gem produces a mass of crimson and orange blossoma and is amenable to training on the rockery or covering banks. It is one of the best. Lantana seloviana, a trailing variety, is one of the finest and most attractive for trailing over rock work or covering sloping sunny banks. It. produces a mass of lavender flowers during most of the year. There are quite a number of varieties of lantanas in various colours. TO CORRESPONDENTS H.U.8., P.O. Box 885.—The shrub is Benthamea fragifera, strawberry-flowered. It is a native of Nepaul. " Novice," Epsom.—Topp'u winter rhubarb may be taken up in March and heeled in and planted again in the winter. The dryness of the soil at the roots is accountable for the fruits of Poor Man orange dropping off prematurely. J.L., Raglan.—Potato leaf is affected with the potato fungus. It usually appears at the flowering stage. They should have been sprayed with Bordeaux mixture. " Inquirer," Waharoa.—The begonia leaf is affected with a species of fungus. Place the plant in an airy position and dust the leaves with powdered sulphur. F."W.M. f Thames.—To get rid of slaters or woodlice, break up moth balls and spread near their haunts. W.T., Huapai,—Greengage and Kirk's black plums are slow in coming into bearing. They are self-fertilising. Other kinds that flower at the same time would asaist the pollenation. "W.M., Tahuna,—You omitted to enclose the insects that you though# might be killing your ake ako hedge plant. The disease is root fungus. You can detect it by the smell and fclimy appearance of the roots. Well soak the soil with a strong solution of bluestone and lime to prevent the spread from affected plants. 8.8., Port Fitzroy.—The discoloured peach leaves on seedlings are not attributable to fungus, but to a defect in the sap. Being of doubtful value, root them out and burn them. " Subscriber," Wanganui.—The immature small fruits of the yellow Magnum Bonum plum are naturally owing to the unhealthy, leafless condition of the tree and deficiency of aap to develop the fruits. The peiir- slug or leech has depleted the tree, the same as in the case of the greengage you refer to. Hellabore powder is the best spray to apply to plum trees to kill the leeclu or dust the foliage with auicklime. To produce good results, the foliage must be preserved intact. Fruits on Cox'a Orange Pippin apple being smaller than usual is caused by the dry weather. Brown Turkey, Malta. White Genoa and Madeline are hardy and reliable cropping figs. Frosts should not affect thera in your district. Fowl manure is worth about four times as much as farmyard manure and is valuable for orchard trees. For summer pruning peaches and nectarines, full directions were givon a few weeks ago. , "Lemon," Ngatea.—With regard to the sickly and almost leafless appearance of Meyer lemon, tho tap roots may have penotrated to where water exists. Heavily manuring with farmyard manure and copiously watering probably soured the soil at the roots. The email brown scales would not materially affect the tree. The spraying with red oil when tho tree was in a sickly condition brought the leaves off and was injurious. Cutting the tree back would not affect a remedy. You. had better plant another in a different place. A., Te Kauwhata. —The gooseberry clippings appear perfectly healthy excepting for a slight attack of mildew. Sprayintr with soluble sulphur is tho best remedy for this fungus. On clay soils each bush should have about Coz. of basic Blag and from loz. to 2oz. of kainit. On lighter eoils use 2oz. of superphosphate . loz. to 2oz._ of kainit. and loz. of sulphate of ammonia to each bush. Animal manures are always recommended. Root fungus sometimes attacks the roots of gooseberries, causing the plants to die. This frequently occurs in land .that previously was in fern or bracken. " Mrs. N.G.F.." Walton.—Flamboyant or poinciana is a tropical tree and much too tender for our climatic conditions. The writer would be glad to try" the seeds you still have left. " Gladioli," I'aeroa.—Allowing the seeds to ripen on the gladiolus stems will not •injure the bulbs. The flowers produced on. the seedlings will bo likely to vary in colour if the parent plant is mixed with other varieties. The colours of the conns or bulbs differ according to the colour of tho flowers. "Subscriber," Rotorua, The Beurre Hardy pear tice, from your description, is affected with fireblight. The only remedy is to cut tho dead portions off. A.T.R., Wairoa (H.B.).—Tho grass is Agropyron repens (lone twitch). It is a bad weed in gardens. The underground 6tem3 spread very rapidly, making it difficult to eradicate. Every little piece grows. " Anxious," Whakatane.—l. _ The skin of apple is attacked with a species of fungus. Spray the tree during the winter with lime sulphur and in the spring, as the buds are swelling, with Bordeaux mixture, the 10-G-40 formula, and after the fruits are about the size of poas with soluble sulphur, lib. to 10 gallons of water. Dispense with the red oil sprayings. 2. For brown rot on peaches, etc.. spray with soluble sulphur until near the time of ripening. Blood and bone nnd boneflour in equal parts are the best fertilisers for all citrus fruits. " Subscriber," Vitio Vitio.—The specimens are:—l. Pimelia prostrata. 2. Erythraea contaurium (century). 3. Epilobium erectum (willow herb). 4 Erigcron canadense. 5. Nepeta cataria (English catmint). 6 and 7. Erechtites arguta and prerrathoides. 8. Erechtites argluta. Apple mildew is the disease on a*jple leaf. See reply to " Fairlio." " Fairlie."—The apple leaves are affected with powdery mildew. Spray with lime sulphur in the winter and with Bordeaux mixture. the 10-6-40 formula, as the buds are swelling in the spring, followed by soluble sulphur lib. to 10 gallons of water, after the fruits have set, with a second application 10 days after. Shoots that start on apple stem below the graft should be rubbed or out off. A.8., Mount Roskill.—The prickly . specimen with flower buds is # tho California thistle, and not ragwort, which has smooth leaves and showy. yellow flowers. " Mrs. A.W.," Te Kuiti.—The specimen with seed pods is a variety of gossypium. a small shrub. Tho seed pods, when ripe, burst and expose the numerous seeds covered with down. Tho flowers are yellow. R.J., Matiku. —Tho insect on tho fern leaves is the brown scale. Owing to the delicate texture of the leaves it is difficult to treat when the plants are badly infested with scales. The best treatment is to cut tho leaves off. A whito-oil emulsion kills scales " Inquirer," Whakatane.—l am unable to identify the species from tho seed pod. Kindly send a leaf or twig. The large beet is one of the gourds' or cucurbita family. J.P,, Devonport.—The flower is Buddleia veitchiana, a flowering shrub. " Bombay.—With regard to border of violets recently planted and in vigorous growth, keep any runners cut off. A few of the leaves may,also be pulled off. Do not give them any manure water. Old azalea bushes that aro too largo should be pruned after they have flowered in the spring. To shape copper beech, prune sparingly. Manure gooseberries during the winter, KBPOB. ,