Foreign Notices. 419 



dred feet in length, with a broad gravel walk close up to the front of them, 

 kept hard and smooth, so that moisture could not penetrate; and I never 

 heard of such a thing as shanking there : whereas, in the gardens of Oxen- 

 ford Castle, close by, I well remember, during the wet summers of 1816 

 and 1817, when I was a pupil there, a (quantity of the late grapes were not fit 

 to send to table; no fault could, however, in consequence, justly be laid 

 to the charge of my worthy preceptor, Mr. Shiels, whose fame as a grape- 

 grower, the Horticultural Society of London has established, nor could it 

 be imputed to the want of proper drainage, for there was commenced, and 

 well-performed, that system which has since made the name of the Earl of 

 Stair so famous ; but the soil was cultivated stiff, and very rich. In the 

 gardens of Marham some vines have been lately planted in some Pine-stoves, 

 and ihose that have the surface of the borders covered with gravel, quite 

 firm, are far more prolific than those where the border is cultivated ; and, 

 completely eclipse the vines planted in a house that (if my information is 

 correct) had twenty pounds' worth of ground-bones mixed with the soil. 

 So much for " pabulum." I believe the simplest, and the best, composi- 

 tion for a vine border, is light loam, brick rubbish, and farm-yard manure, 

 not much decayed, in equal proportions, and to be well-drained. — {Farm, 

 and Gard. Journal, p. 4, 1847.) 



Art. II. Foreign Notices. 



Exhibitions of the London Horticultural Society. — The exhibitions of this 

 Society for the year have been exceedingly fine, but, from the great length 

 of the reports, we have been unable to find room for them. The exhibition of 

 pelargoniums having been exceedingly fine, and many amateurs feeling an in- 

 terest in this flo%ver, we have rtiade room for the following account of them : — 



The collections of Pelargoniums were more numerous than on former oc- 

 casions. The display was very effective, and rendered more interesting 

 than usual, by the general introduction, in the different stands, of the new 

 and improved varieties. One feature, in this exhibition of Pelargoniums, 

 must not be allowed to pass unnoticed ; we allude to the collection from E. 

 Foster, Esq., of Clewer; these plants were specimens of superior cultiva- 

 tion, and were grown and exhibited without sticks or other mechanical sup- 

 ports. They were grown in 8 inch pots ; the plants were very large, and 

 the only training they appeared to have been subjected to, was in the lower 

 shoots having been tied down horizontally, and inclined downwards to spread 

 out the branches, and conceal the surface of the pots ; having been thus se- 

 cured, they appeared then to have been allowed to take their natural course 

 upwards, growing with great luxuriance, having thick branches, with large 

 and healthy foliage, and with stout and well-developed flowers. The con- 

 trast afforded by the exhibition of these plants, and the regulated manage- 

 ment applied to the other collections, will no doubt be productive of great 

 improvement in this department. The contrast showed clearly the faults on 



