472 THE GARDENER. [Oct. 



doors, finally transferring tliem to the greenhouse about August, by 

 which time they will be showing liowers and will continue in perfec- 

 tion for six weeks at least, charming all who have the good fortune to 

 see them possessing a taste able to appreciate anything above medi- 

 ocrity. Omega. 



TWEED VHSTEYARD. 



Booivixo at the Victoria Station, Mauchester, for Galashiels, after "doing" the 

 International, asix hours' ride brought us into the immediate vicinity of the valley 

 of the Tweed, classic through the prose and rhyme of the past and celebrated by 

 the enterprise of the present day. Who has not heard of ancient Melrose and its 

 picturesque neighbourhood, with all their inspiring reminiscences of Sir Walter 

 Scott and other Border worthies ? and who has not heard of the modern Tweed 

 Vineyard with its unparalleled Graperies and Pineries, situated three miles from 

 Galashiels in a somewhat outlandish-like quarter of this classic regiou ? Two 

 minutes' walk from Clovenfords station stands the hospitable dwelling of Mr 

 Thomson, which we pass through by the conservatory, gay with the finest of 

 Mr Pearson's seedling Geraniums, which Mr Thomson thinks highly of, and 

 2)roceed to the vinery corridor. Before, however, noticing the crops, I will give 

 a brief outline of this block of structures. The corridor is a si)an-roofed house 

 148 feet in length and 26 feet in width, with 4 feet of an upright sash and IS feet 

 of a rafter. From this corridor, and running at a right angle with it, other three 

 span-roofed houses of the same construction are entered, one running into each 

 end, and one in the centre, 200 feet long each, and 24 feet wide. All the 

 ventilation of these is worked from the corridor. The top is lifted up by 

 means of one of Baird's patent wheels and screw. The front sashes are hung 

 in the centre, attached to a rod with bars, and worked by a simple arrangement 

 of wheels from the end. The whole are supported on strong stone blocks with 

 openings between, giving the roots free access to the outside borders, a space of 

 30 feet, which is not yet fully made up — an addition of 2 feet being applied 

 yearly. 4600 feet of 4-inch piping is arranged in these four houses. This 

 quantity at first was worked entirely by one boiler 18 feet long, in shape like 

 one of the old Cornish tubular boilers, having a skin of water 2 inches thick all 

 round the fire, which is in the centre of the tube. In case of accident another 

 smaller one of the same form was subsequently attached, and is now worked 

 when required. Returning to the crops, and starting with the corridor, the 

 Vines in this house as well as in all the others, are planted in what may be 

 termed double rows, a row of permanent ones being placed in the space between 

 the front sashes and the hot- water pipes ; another row of supernumeraries is 

 temporarily planted on the other side of the pipes. One side is wholly planted 

 with Duke of Buccleuch ; each stem has two rods trained in the form of the 

 letter V. The others are Black Hamburgs, Duchess of Buccleuch, Grizzly, and 

 White Frontignans, Poyal Muscadines, MadresHeld Court, and a number of 

 Golden Champion. The few still hanging of this latter variety were splendid; 

 great berries, some of which I saw placed on the scales, weighing | oz. each, and 

 perfectly free from spot. This house is the earliest, coming in about the 

 beginning of July, when the fruit is mostly sold on the place to visitors, who 

 frequent it in great numbers. The wood made this season is excellent, strong, 

 hard, and brown to the very top. Passing into the Muscat-house, the crop 



