TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20483, 8 December 1934, Page 32 (Supplement)

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

J.R.Iv. (Cobden) writes: Would you i please ad.vise if the fly that attacks cabbage and' turnips will attack Yellow Globe mangolds? The fly is Jin in diameter and 2in long, grey in colour, and lays the cocoon on the under side of the leaf. They are very numerous on sandy ground.— No. Mangolds are not usually affected. In Southland, where all these crops are largely grown, it is a common practice to sow mangolds alternately with the others as a safeguard to infection. ST ALBANS writes: Would you kindly let me know if these samples (one a cooking apple and the other a plum) are dead or dying? If it is the latter, is there anything I can do to save them? I gave them a coating of draining oil about three or four months ago. I did this also to a Sturmer, -which is even better than last year.—ln the case of the plum the trouble is die-back, or mildew. The apple lias fireblight, probably blossom infection. In both cases prune off all infected shoots and branches, burn them, and paint cut ends with coal tar or lime. The former is not so serious as the latter. TOMATOES (New Brighton) writes: Could you tell me what the spots are on tomato (Kondine) enclosed. J had about a dozen fruits affected last year, and this year about a plants are affected. The spots are only skin deep and the fruit is quite firm when ripe. Only the bottom trusses are affected, and the plants are quite healthy. The glasshouse is not heated and there is plenty of ventilation. The soil was changed this season, limed, and I used about 2Slb fish manure, the glasshouse being 20ft x 30ft. I have a grape vine growing in this house and it is quite healthy. I find your garden page very interesting and instructive.— This is not a disease, nor is it detrimental to the fruit, other than in appearance. It is akin to water coie

and bitter pit in apples, and is the result of the plant absorbing more water than it can assimilate, with the result that the fruits get over-charged with moisture. You will probably find the following crop to be free of the trouble. A.G. (Avonside) asks: Is it necessary to prune daphne? I have a young bush. This year it lias made such rapid growth there are about twenty new branches on the main stem. Will this rapid growth stop the plant from flowering, it looks so healthy —There is no need to prune the daphne if it is not getting out of bounds. Pruning would interfere with the flowering, as next season’s flowers will be produced on the shoots it is now making. K.L. (Papanui) writes: We have some small tomato plants about one foot high, and not much more than seedlings, but already have flowers on. Should these be nipped off or left to bear fruit?—l do not think you need to worry if the plants are doing well. The flowering may be due to the plants being starved. Usually the tomato can take care of itself and the flowers will fall if the plant is not able to carry the fruit. AMATEUR (Ashburton) writes: I am growing tomatoes on the same ground as last season, and last season the tomatoes were diseased with a kind of black spot. During the winter I gave the ground two dressings of lime. One of the plants is withered, and the leaves are curling up, otherwise, they appear quite strong?—The tomatoes need spraying with a fungicide such as lime sulphur, using a tablespoonful of solution in a gallon of water, otherwise it is almost sure your plants will be attacked with black spot. The plant that is withered and with leaves curling is attacked by a virus disease, and should at once be pulled up and burnt. There is no cure for this disease, but it can be transmitted by insects to other plants.