1871.] HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITIONS. 571 



and tidiness that prevailed in every department. The new Pine-pits there are a 

 feature of the place, and seem well adapted to their purpose. Mr Kettles had two 

 fine batches of smooth Cayenne Pines swelling off, at different stages, that would 

 run on the average from 4 to 5 lb. a-piece. "\Ve were struck also with the fine 

 Apricot-trees here, which were bearing a splendid crop of fruit, and the healthy 

 look of the fruit-trees generally. 



We were now about setting our face towards the south again, after a very 

 agreeable three weeks' holiday, but dropped off at Galashiels, thinking a visit to Mr 

 Thomson's vineyard would be a fitting termination to our programme. A run out 

 from Galashiels on the Innerleithen line for about three miles, lands the traveller at 

 the little station of Clovenfords, a lonely nook among the hills, and one of the 

 last places in the world where he would expect to come upon one of the great- 

 est grape-growing depots in the kingdom. He is not long in the neighbourhood, 

 however, before he discovers that Mr Thomson's establishment is already ranked 

 among places of interest in a locality already rich in that respect. To the uniniti- 

 ated in matters horticultural, it certainly cannot appear otherwise than astonish- 

 ing that what was, not much more than two years ago, part of a sheep-run, is now 

 a vineyard under glass, already bearing thousands of pounds' weight of Grapes. 

 To horticulture the feat is highly creditable, and is a chapter in its history ; and 

 perhaps no man's name could be more fitly associated with the undertaking than 

 that of Mr Thomson. Passing along the noble corridor which forms the base 

 line, and is also filled with Vines, we cast our eye along one vista after another of 

 span-roofed houses 24 feet wide, nearly as high, and two hundred feet in length, 

 covered with wood and foliage to the top, and carrying a heavy crop of fruit two- 

 thirds up the roof. The wood of the permanent Vines and supernumeraries was 

 remarkably strong ; and if we recollect aright, the latter were carrying something 

 like ten or twelve bunches each without showing any signs of distress, evincing the 

 highly-sustaining nature of the soil, which is a deep and strong loam. Hundreds 

 of pot-vines are also grown along the back walls of the Pine-stoves and other 

 available spaces, where the foliage could be exposed to a good blaze of light, as 

 pot-vines ought to be grown that are intended to produce anything ; and we have 

 no doubt the robust, leathery-leaved plants which we saw at Clovenfords will 

 bear out their promise. Pines grown in the same soil as the Vines were if any- 

 thing worthy of even greater commendation than the Vines, hundreds upon hun- 

 dreds of fruiting and succession plants in long light houses ; Queens, Smooths, 

 Eothschilds, Prince Albert, Black Jamaica, and Envilles, &c., all grand plants. 

 The fruiting-batches were late, intended for winter and spring, but the "shows" 

 which were coming up broad and red, supported on massive stems, showed at a 

 glance what they were likely to be. In a cursory paper of this kind, it is of course 

 impossible to convey anything like a correct impression of such an establishment, 

 but we would just say to others as was said to us, '* Go and see." J. S. W. 



horticulturaij exhibitions. 



EoYAL Horticultural SociExr, November 1. — On this occasion prizes were 

 offered for Chrysanthemums, out-of-door Grapes, and Potatoes. The meeting 

 for November is usually fixed for the first Wednesday in the month ; and this, 

 even in the most favourable seasons, is too early by at least ten days for Chrysan- 

 themums. This flower is exceptionally late this year, so that for cut blooms only 

 one exhibitor put in an appearance, and but two in the classes for plants. Mr 



