November 28, 1903. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
985 
The Big Vinery ht Clovenfords. 
About thirty-three years ago the late Mr. William Thomson, 
having left Dalkeith Palace to undertake Grape growing on his 
own account, built a big vinery at Clovenfords, Galashiels. 
This vineiy still forms an important part of the establishment 
of Messrs. Wm. Thomson and Sons, Tweed Vineyards, Cloven¬ 
fords, Galashiels. It is 200 ft. long, and forms part of the 
range of structures on the hillside, above the public highway, 
while away to the south, and deep down in the valley, runs the 
classic Tweed. This big vinery was the initial attempt of the 
firm, and is built in so exposed a situation that it makes us 
wonder how the G"apes can be grown so successfully in it. 
We reproduce a photograph of three bunches of Gros Column 
Grape cut from the Vines that were planted in 1870, cropped in 
1871, and continually since for market purposes. We have 
frequently seen berries cut from this house measuring about 
4 in. in circumference, which speaks volumes for the care which 
has been taken of them, and argues- that they must have re¬ 
ceived more than clean waiter at 
the roots. These bunches were not 
specially picked, but taken out of 
a basket which was being sent to 
one of the customers of the firm. 
On entering this huge vineiy its 
magnitude reminds us of the big 
vineiy at Chiswick, for not only is 
it 200 ft. long, but 24 ft. wide and 
16 ft. high. The sustaining power 
placed at the disposal of these old 
Vines is simply Thomson’s Vine, 
plant, and vegetable manure. 
When the borders are being top- 
dressed early in the season 2 1-bs. 
per square yard of the manure are 
spread on the ground, or mixed 
with a little soil before application 
if the roots are too near the surface 
for convenience of forking it over. 
After the berries are thinned 
another pound per square yard is 
given. Of course, it is to the 
■benefit of the Vines and the in¬ 
terest of the gardener that the 
borders should have been pre¬ 
viously well watered. After each 
top-dressing a light watering is 
again given to settle the manure 
and wash down some of its valu¬ 
able properties to the feeding 
roots. It would be extremely in¬ 
teresting to know how many more 
years it would be possible to crop 
these old Vines profitably, but we have strong hopes of them, 
seeing that the Vine is a plant which reaches a green old age, 
more especially if well cared for, as it. is at Clovenfords. 
Canadian Fruit. —At the Gravesend exhibition of Chrysan¬ 
themums, fruit, -and vegetables, held on November 11th and 
12th, there was a unique collection of cereals and vegetables, 
as well as a variety of fruit, from the Dominion of Canada. 
* * * 
Thistles and Dockens. —At a concert in aid of the funds of 
the Novar Horticultural Society, Dingwall, on the 6th inst., 
Munro Ferguson, Esq., of Novar, M.P., said he would suggest 
“ having a prize for a patriotic garden full of nothing except 
what is produced at home, with special recognition of Thistles 
and Dockens.” 
* * * 
Big Cauliflower at Kibworth. —-Mr. A. Mattock, of Kib- 
worth, Leicester, recently cut a Cauliflower, grown by him, of 
extraordinary weight and dimensions. On the one stalk there 
were five heads, the girth of which was 61 in., the entire weight 
being 29 lb. The seed from which the colossal production 
sprung was sown in May, 1902. 
The Edinburgh Botanic Gardens. 
About the middle of September last we paid a hurried visit 
to- the Botanic Gardens!, Edinburgh, but, being late in the 
season, many of the more interesting flowers out of doors had 
passed out of bloom. Nevertheless, some of the late-flowering 
subjects were still in perfection, especially those in the rock 
garden. When passing through the herbaceous ground, how¬ 
ever, we noted Hebenstreitia comorn, a plant of recent intro¬ 
duction, and, as far as we have seen, the best of its kind. The 
flowers are produced in a. close spike, and are white, or some¬ 
times tinted with lilac, with an orange or scarlet blotch on 
the lip. 
In the- rock garden we noted a fine bank of Cotoneaster 
liorizontalisi, a Chinese species, which develops its branches 
horizontally, almost like a table covered with its small dark 
leaves and a profusion o-f berries'. Viola Munbyana, .with blue 
and white flowers, is one of the Pansy section of the genus. 
A fine collection of Campanula has been got together, but- 
mo-st of them were out of season. Very pretty was Potentiila 
nitida alba, with grey foliage and white flowers produced on 
very dwarf or creeping -stems-; it is a true rock plant; the red 
burrs and fulvous leaves of Acaena microphylla, growing on 
the ledges of rocks, were handsome. Here also was a fine mass 
o-f Anthyllis montana, with its grey foliage drooping down, over 
the stones. Dryas octopetala grows better here than it does 
on its own mountain tops, possibly because it is more sheltered 
from the fierce gales of wind that frequently prevail there. 
The prostrate Genista pilosa also formed a fine patch on the 
ledges. The allied Cytisus schipkaemsis also made splendid 
growth, and was in full bloom, even at this late date. 
A very singular species is Senecio laxifolius, with shrubby 
stems, grey leaves and yellow flowers. Thei carmine heads of 
bloom on Polygonum sph&erosta-chyum make- this a very fine 
species for rock gardens. An uncommon Milfoil was Achillea 
Herbari’ota, having finely pinnatifid leaves, but flowers very 
similar to our British species. A fine collection of Primulas 
has also been, got together upon the rockery, and some were 
flowering a. second time, while all were in the veiy best, of 
health. The coo-1 moist atmosphere of the northern capital 
would seem to suit this class of plant-si, judging from the 
Three Bunches oe Gros Colman Grape at Clovenfords. 
