536 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ June 28, 1883, 
when thrown together by experienced persons, whose practice is 
dictated by something more than mere rule. I believe it possible 
to add something of much service, but not with the single idea of 
enriching the compost, but rather for the sounder purpose of secur¬ 
ing a long-enduring texture in the soil. Lime rubbish, especially 
mortar and plaster from old buildings, charred and burnt materials, 
these can seldom be wrongly introduced, unless in thoughtless 
excess. But their presence in a compost, or their amount, should 
ever be ruled by the texture of the chief body of the soil; they are 
opener, opposed to cohesion, and to introduce them liberally to a 
light and stringy soil would be to expose the compost to every 
extreme vicissitude of drought; and we must endeavour to be 
prepared for every contingency, if possible. 
I need scarcely point here to the necessity for the most perfect 
drainage beneath. All the world now are unanimous as to that; 
but one thing more I would name, and that is the immense benefit 
of surface-dressings of rich manurial and organic matters. This 
is the best way of forcing the powers of the Vine when requisite. 
There it interferes not with the mechanical texture of the soil, and 
if Vines were planted on a well-drained bottom, on sound turfy 
loam of only 6 inches over the drainage material, there is no doubt 
that they might be annually decoyed upwards several inches every 
year by this process; downwards they would scarcely require to go. 
BORONIA TETRANDRA. 
Similarly to the Pimelea figured in another column, this 
Boronia is a useful spring-flowering greenhouse plant that is now 
known and appreciated in many gardens. It is by no means a 
novelty, as its introduction to this country dates back to the 
year 1824, and specimens of great size are now occasionally seen 
in old gardens. Though not novel, it is, however, well worth 
attention, as it is yet unknown to many who nevertheless might 
value useful plants. Boronia tetrandra and B. pinnata have 
been somewhat confused in some gardens, the former being 
frequently wrongly referred to the latter species, a mistake which 
has been chiefly caused by the similarity of the foliage. The 
leaves of B. tetrandra are, however, smaller than the true 
B. pinnata, and while the species represented in fig. 119 
has the flowers nearly sessile in the axils of the leaves, the other 
produces its blooms in short racemes. In the one now being 
considered the flowers are pale pink, differing slightly in the 
depth of the tint, according to their age, the older ones becoming 
almost white. They clothe the branches thickly, springing from 
nearly every axil. A similar compost to that recommended for 
the Pimelea will suit this Boronia, but a little more loam may be 
employed, and it is important that the pots are not too large. 
GRAPE DUCHESS OF BUCCLEUCH. 
Although universally acknowledged to be the best flavoured of 
Grapes, this has yet dropped out of cultivation to a considerable 
extent, chiefly owing to the smallness of its berries, which are 
below medium size, and partly because it sometimes does not set 
as freely as some. But when we consider that it ranks as the 
best in flavour of any, ripens in a Hamburgh temperature, and is 
a prodigious cropper when well treated, it will be seen that for 
supplying a private table plentifully with superior produce it is 
worthy the attention of growers, especially those who possess no 
Muscat house, and whose range of vineries is not great. At 
Hope Park, Bonnybridge, the residence of George R. Ure, Esq., 
may be seen very particularly fine samples of this fine Grape. 
The vinery in which it is grown is but small, and the climate is 
none of the best, being cloudy and wet. To make matters worse 
the vinery gets no afternoon sun, yet by starting early the 
growths are well ripened. The Vines were planted in 1877 from 
eyes struck the same season, and have been heavily cropped every 
year since. This season the crop is, as usual, very heavy, but 
none of the varieties is so striking as Duchess. Numbers of the 
bunches are over 20 inches long and 14 inches across, and are 
borne iD such profusion that they could easily be linked in one 
continuous chain from top to bottom ; yet these are borne on rods 
that have been pronounced overcropped every year. The soil is 
of a by no means favourable description, much of it being road¬ 
side turf. But they have been plentifully fed on food, though 
usually regarded as waste, yet plentifully supplies everything 
wanted.— Observer. 
CHERTSEY DISTRICT SHOW. 
Suburban district horticultural exhibitions are peculiarly enjoy¬ 
able gatherings, always provided the show day is fine. The gardening 
of a district is represented on an acre or two of ground in some 
gentleman’s park, and music is provided to enliven the proceedings. 
A district may embrace a dozen parishes or an area of several square 
miles, and all the gardeners within the charmed circle are eligible to 
compete. Numbers of these do compete, and hundreds more visit 
the show to take stock of their neighbours’ doings—to admire, criti¬ 
cise, and give and gain hints on the work of their lives, for a great 
deal of earnestness and keen rivalry exists amongst suburban gar¬ 
deners. The wealthy and well-to-do of the districts, also, have a sort 
of horticultural field day, and it is wonderful to see the number of 
“ carriage people ” who attend these shows. At the one under notice 
the aristocratic-looking and well-appointed equipages appeared almost 
or quite as numerous as at one of the Royal Horticultural or Royal 
Botanic Society’s exhibitions in London. 
The Chertsey District Horticultural Society has as patrons most of 
the leading inhabitants around, a President of world-wide horticul¬ 
tural fame—Mr. G. F. Wilson—a very practical working Committee, 
and a Secretary in Mr. Rawlings who combines business aptitude 
with courtesy, and who has discharged with success his duties for 
eighteen years—this being the eighteenth Exhibition. The shows 
are moveable, and are usually held in the grounds of the local gentry, 
who kindly place them at the disposal of the Committee. The 
Exhibition in question was held in Ashley Park, the seat of J. S 
Sassoon, Esq., whose Cromwellian residence is pleasantly situated in 
a well-wooded demesne of some 500 acres, where thriving young 
Conifers link the present with the past, as represented by iron-bound 
aud venerable Yews 
Of the Exhibition itself nothing like a detailed report will be 
attempted, but only its general character will be as briefly as possible 
described, and a few noteworthy productions particularised. 
Half a dozen marquees were in requisition—one, very large, being 
devoted to plants, another to fruit and cut flowers, a third to “ effect ” 
groups, a fourth to cottagers’ products, and the others to adminis¬ 
trative purposes. Although the prizes were not large the compe¬ 
tition was good, and the Show on the whole decidedly creditable to 
the many competent individuals who brought examples of their 
cultural skill, or displayed their taste in floral arrangement. 
In the plant classes Mr. Cornhill, gardener to C. Pettit, Esq., Oat- 
lands Park, an exhibitor of more than local fame, took the lead in 
most of the chief plant classes, staging flowering, fine-foliage plants, 
and Ferns of large size and in admirable condition. Very noteworthy 
was a splendid variety of Anthurium Schertzerianum, remarkable for 
brilliancy of colour and handsome spathes, some of which when 
fresh were upwards of 7 inches long. Mr. Plowman, gardener to 
