TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 301, 19 December 1931, Page 22 (Supplement)

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

(CORRESPONDENTS will greatly ot in sending questions for publicatic 1. —Letters should be in not later tha lowing week—addressed to Garden 2. —Write on one side of the paper, concise as possible. 3. Flowers, etc., sent for naming, mus packed in a tin or wooden box —c; broken in transit and the contents 4. —The full name and address of the nom de plume or initial may be g Statiee” (Oamaru) writes: Would you kindly tell me the name of the: (1) accompanying piece of statiee which I have been advised to grow as good for floral work? (2) These pinks of which I send specimens, used to be a picture when in bloom, now something always spoils the blooms. 1 have tried them always with the same result. The buds might be nibbled by small slugs, but ’ this year the garden has been too dry for them.—-(1) Statiee inc.ina alba, hardy perennial. Sv?ed could be sown at any time. (2) The pinks are badly affectedVwith leaf rust, and this by absorbing the sap, is starving the flower buds. As they are not very valuable advise burning all plants and starting afresh with clean stock. Sweetpea ” (West Coast) writes: Will you please give me information on the following inquiries: (1) I have planted maidenhair under the bench in glasshouse. Jt has been there a year, and has not grown at all. What could I add to the soil? (2) Do you recommend putting ranunculus on a tray of soil for the off season, or just dry them and leave them? (3) Do you recommend taking anemones and fulgens and tulips each year? (4) For show purposes how high should you let sweetpeas grow When you are confining to two stents and cutting back ail laterals? (5) Can you give me a cure for black spot on pansies, and what kind of soil they like? Your gardening notes are very interesting. Sunlight must be excluded, also frost in Winter time. Try to produce bush conditions, namely, quiet, windless, shade. The best soil for Adiantums is two-third fibrous loam, one-third good leaf mould, with plenty of water, provided there is suitable drainage. (2) On a tray in a dry, airy shed. The essential tiling is to stop all growth and give the bulbs a rest, if left in the ground this is not always effected. (3) Anemone fulgens,

>blige by observing the following rules ion in these columns:— lan Thursday to be answered the foln Editor, “ Star ” Office, Christchurch', r, and make all communications as ist be sent separately, and, if possible, cardboard boxes are very liable to be ts damaged. le sender must always be sent, but a given for publication. yes; but tulips only every third year, to prevent overcrowding. (4) This will depend on what supports you have. Many growers do not find 12ft to 14ft rods or wire netting two much. If yours are shorter, disbud or pick to prevent over-supply of flowers, bearing in mind'the show date. (5) Dust freely in and under the plants with dry sulphur powder. Soil for pansies should he rich and well manured and hold plenty of moisture. “ W.R. ” (Greymouth) writes: In your notes in Saturday's “ Star ” you say “ Lift auriculas and polyanthus.” (1) Does this mean that I can lift and store polyanthus tubers, or does it mPan lift and divide for replanting? (2) Is it possible to buy seeds of perennial phlox, and if so, where? (3) Where may I procure a Dutch catalogue for bulbs? The gardening notes are much appreciated.— (1) Lift and divide for replanting, not necessarily in the same place. Usually the clumps are heeled in elsewhere, and divisions replanted about March, when the summer border occupants can be removed to again make room for them. (2) This seed should be available from leading seedsmen in this city. (3) Am posting you a catalogue, but prices therein are wholesale to tradfe, so that you may ‘ have to pay highe,x\ Glad to know i garden notes are useful. , “Cherry Stone” (Spreydon) writes: I forward a sprig of cherry tree which is healthy and flowers well, but fruit is nothing hut stone and skin. It has - never produced one decent cherry. Can i you advise me what to do with it?— Your cherry is the wild one, Prunus * avium, and apart from its ornamental , qualities, not worth growing. It may i have been grown from a stone, and reverted to type, as from such an , uninviting fruit most of our dessert i cherries have been evolved. I would i advise you to cuit it out and replace t next winter with one of the good fruiting sorts.