TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20233, 17 February 1934, Page 23 (Supplement)

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

“NEW BROOM” states: (1) I have some shrubs I wish to move as soon as possible. Could you tell me how hard to cut them back before moving, and what is the best time for each one? They are ceanothus, Spanish broom, orange blossom and Rowan tree. The ceanothus is under three years old and has a spread of about seven feet in places, and the broom is about five feet high. (2) A tamaiisk about three or four years old had only two or three scanty trusses of bloom, though it is making good growth. Should I prune it to a bush? (3) Suckers from a sumach tree are springing up in many places as much as twelve feet away. Will they grow if I transplant them, and will these far-reaching roots of the sumach kill the surrounding shrubs? (4) Could you or any of your readers give me the approximate date on which an article on home tobacco-growing and curing appeared, by an elderly St Albans man? Thanking you in anticipation, and also for past valuable help.— (1) You have wisely asked advice in good time, for moving cannot be done with any hope of success until June, and even then you will not be very successful with some of them. This damp weather will help, for you must use a good, strong spade and cut the roots in a semi-circle on one side of each shrub or tree to be moved, a reasonable distance from its stem. Do not lift the tree out of the ground, but wrench it from its hold on that side, and just tramp the soil back firmly again. In six weeks to two months treat the other side in the same way. In mid-winter they

will be ready for moving, when the tops can be cut back 50 per cent. (2) Tamarisk will stand hard cutting in winter. If it is the dwarf variety it can be cut to within two feet of the ground; if it is the tall or tree variety it should be cut back to the crutch, which is usually 3 to 5 feet above the ground. (3) Yes. Sumach is propagated by cutting and layers, and some varieties by root cuttings. The roots will not kill surrounding shrubs, but it will assist the shrubs if you dig the shrubbery over annually and keep these suekering roots in check. (4) Perhaps our readers who are keen amateur tobacco plant raisers have the article by them and can advise us next week the date the article required appeared. “ KOWHAI ” (Avonside) asks: Is it possible to grow kowhai plants from seeds (scarlet kowhai)? —Sow the seed as soon as ripe. It will do in the open garden. Sow in drills about an inch deep. Tt will be necessary to protect from slugs and birds. Sown now, the plants should be transplanted in spring. R.R. asks: How to select tomatoes for seed, when to pick the fruit, and how - to dry the seeds?—Pick the fruit when matured but firm, cut them open and squeeze out seeds into a fine mesh sieve, wash under water, then lay seeds on paper to dry. When the seeds are nearly dry they should be rubbed apart, otherwise thev will stick together and often it is difficult to separate them. H.J. (Taylor’s Mistake) asks how to cure tobacco. —An article on this subject appears in this issue.