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New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21906, 15 September 1934, Page 4 (Supplement)

BIRTHDAY TREKS Dear Miss Morion,—Upon reading your request for reports of our "J3ii:thday Trees" I went out to examine my trees and at first I was rather disappointed. My nectarine tretf seemed to be just the same little bare sapling that I had planted cairefully a year previously, but tipon closer observation I noticed, to my intense delight, that it was actually five inches taller than it was when planted. It certainly has been a forlorn looking little tree during this winter but nc,w leaf buds are appearing along the elender branches, waiting only for spring's magic touch to open them. You may remember tliut my other original Birthday Tree died and in its place I have planted swo native trees. Although they were planted toward the end of January they have not actually grown any bigger but all the same they are etill living.—Your sincere pen-friend, Joyce Letford. Puietaha, Hamilton. "FAIRY QUEEN" Dear Miss Morton.—Spring it with us once again. She has been very nt-ar us for some little while, awaiting the long, dreary hours of winter to pass away. To-day, I observed a sure sign of her presence with us; it was a tiny cluster of starry white, above the tops of some manuka. Unmiatakeably the cluster of starry white flowers could be none other than our friend the clematis, offering her white starry ensign as a truce eymbol, signing the armistice of winter and spring. Generally the clematis, which is really the emblem of New Zealand's native bush flowers' spring, flowers in late September. The weeping willows are now bursting out into leaf and also a number of stoned-fruit ( seedlings, A neighbour has a couple of early / peach trees in bloom, while we have plum tree 3 and nectarines nearly reedy to flower. Our little snowball tree is just bursting its leaf buds. The bariksia climber will soon be ft mass of ♦iny golden thornlcss roses. We have a very tiny Jerseir heifer calf, which has a very elaborate nnme bestowed upon it. She is the second purebred Jeremy heifer our seven teen-year-old reeistered pedigree Jersey "Fairy" his had. We have namedfthe calf "Qneeni*." Fniry's Queen, so I expect in time the '"a" will be dropped and the calf will be called "Fairy Queen." Well, I must now conclude.—l remain, your affectionate pen-friend. Nornh Benn, M.8.G., Sunny Bank. Arkles Bay. Whangaoarnoa. SPRING IN THE GARDEN Dear Miss Morton.—-It is real spring now, isn't it. Miss Morton? It is lovely (o see the darling little calves frisking and frolicking in the paddocks. Also om» witnesses the sad spectacle of little calves taken from their mothers. Also the dear little snow-white lambs are coming into the world, and they look so funny trying to run on their long, wobbly legs. T have a lovely show of spring bulbs in bloom just at present. Tall, iitntely cream and yellow daffodils are nodding their beautiful frilled heads in the breeze. Also anemones of many difforcnt colours are nt present a mass of bloom. On Saturday I planted out a lot of cuttings and email plants, some of which are iris, daphne, salvia (blue and red), primroses, candytuft, ■wallflower and many different kinds of dai=ieß. The peach trees have burst their buds and are now a twi°s of pirk blossom. The plums also are in flower. The tiny, pinky br-ds of the nectarine are just bursting. Also the drooping veil of the weeping willow ie draped in green. I am sure the brightest ,season of the year and its awakening has come. Well, dear Miss Morton, I must close, with love.—Your loving pen-friend, -Gladys Wilson, Otangaroa (ago 12).

HOW THEY GROW J Dear Miss Morion,—My Birthday Trees are doing splendidly. Tha persimmon has grown six inches taller in the year and has put out several new branched It did not have any fruit oil it last year. The kowhai is three inches taller than when J. planted it and ia looking strong and healthy. The garden is looking very giy no\» with all the jonquils, daffodils, snowdrops and crocuses out. We have hud quantities of violets this year. They have been blooming steadily ever since the middle of April. In one patch they have beautifully long stalks. One that I measured yesterday was ten inches long.—From-your pen-friend, Patricia Gillespie, Morrinsville.