September  7,  1899. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
211 
FRUIT  BORDERS. 
The  making  of  new  fruit  borders  either  under  glass  or  in  the 
open  is  a  very  important  work,  and  will  be  claiming  the  attention  of 
many  gardeners  just  now.  Perhaps  the  most  frequent  of  all  mistakes 
is  having  the  borders  too  rich  and  loose,  both  for  Vines  and  Peaches, 
or,  indeed,  any  other  fruit.  When  the  fruit  borders  here  were 
made  all  the  soil  was  well  firmed  with  rammers  about  4  inches  across, 
the  surest  way  of  getting  it  evenly  firm.  When  putting  borders 
together  it  is  most  important  that  the  materials  are  thoroughly 
incorporated  and  of  a  medium  condition  as  regards  moisture.  A  dry 
heap  of  compost  cannot  possibly  be  made  firm,  for  as  soon  as  one 
part  is  rammed  it  pushes  up  at  other  places,  w-hile  if  too  wet  it 
settles  down  into  a  close  inert  mass  like  a  brick,  and  shrinks. from  the 
sides  of  the  walls.  Of  the  two  it  is  better  for  the  material  to  be  on 
the  dry  side,  and  even  if  a  little  sprinkling  is  necessary  it  should  be 
done.  For  this  reason  it  is  always  best  to  allow  the  soil  to  remain  in 
sharp  ridges  until  the  place  is  ready,  or  if  it  can  be  kept  under  cover 
so  much  the  better. 
As  an  addition  to  fruit  borders  the  lime  rubble  left  from  building 
operations  is  very  useful,  stone  fruit  especially  being  greatly  assisted 
thereby.  For  Vines,  too,  it  is  useful,  and  so,  of  course,  is  newly  slab  d 
lime,  but  the  former  is  more  useful  in  a  mechanical  sense  than  the 
latter,  keeping  the  soil  sweet  and  open,  and  encouraging  free  root 
action.  Lime  itself  as  an  organic  substance  is  more  cheaply  and 
easily  supplied  by  the  slaked  material,  but  in  some  soils  it  has  a  tendency 
to  fine  down  the  staple  and  make  it  impervious  to  air  and  moisture. 
The  rubble  is  a  splendid  addition  to  the  soil  for  Fig  borders,  and  if 
brick  and  mortar  rubble  is  not  obtainable  it  is  well  to  break  up  some 
sandstone,  or  whatever  happens  to  be  at  band,  for  it  is  very  necessary 
that  the  Fig  roots  start  in  rather  a  poor  but  well  drained  and  aerated 
medium. 
Plums  and  Cherries,  again,  need  a  soil  more  than  usually  firm  if 
the  best  results  are  to  be  obtained,  the  former  especially  running  away 
to  fruitlessness  in  a  very  short  time  if  planted  at  first  in  a  loose  rich 
border.  Drainage  in  all  cases  is  necessary,  but  the  usual  mixture  of 
bricks,  flints,  or  what  not,  should  be  more  carefully  looked  over  for 
nieces  of  rotten  wood,  and  anything  else  likely  to  set  up  attacks  of 
fungus  at  the  roots. — H.  R.  Richards,  Coldham  Ball. 
BIZARRE  NOTES  (SHREWSBURY). 
Whatever  may  be  the  opinions  of  persons,  who  are  entitled  to 
all  respect,  as  to  the  association  of  amusements  of  a  general  nature 
with  flower  shows,  at  least  the  magnificent  exhibition  held  at  Shrews¬ 
bury  proves  how  wonderfully  attractive  the  two  can  be  in  combination. 
Nowhere  in  the  kingdom  are  there  associated  such  a  really  grand 
display  of  all  descriptions  of  horticultural  products,  with  the  most 
beautiful  music,  and  amusements  of  the  most  varied  and  interesting 
character,  as  there,  and  the  result  is  that  the  ’masses,  the  tens  of 
thousands  of  visitors,  literally  worship  the  horticultural  produce,  and 
crowd  the  tents  on  each  day,  and  all  day  long.  One  has  only  to  mix 
with  the  crowds  in  the  tents  and  hear  their  criticisms  to  understand 
how  intensely  they  are  interested  in  the  exhibit'. 
The  same  unfortunate  heat  trial  which  has  affected  flower  shows 
everywhere  this  season  proved  to  have  been  very  trying  at  Shrewsbury. 
It  is  a  pity  flower  show  committees  do  not  jointly  put  pressure  on  tent 
owners  to  provide  them  with  properly  formed  means  of  ventilation,  as 
when  crowded  with  people  on  a  hot  day  the  temperature  becomes 
unendurable.  No  better  arrangement  fur  this  purpose  would  be  found 
than  long  flap  openings  in  the  roof  on  the  non-sunny  side,  and 
freely  looping  down  the  sides  to  enable  air  to  circulate.  One  bad 
result  of  this  excessive  heat,  apart  from  the  great  discomfort  it  brings 
to  visitors,  is  the  disastrous  effect  it  has  on  cut  flowers,  which  soon 
collapse.  That  condition  of  things  has  been  common  everywhere  this 
season  because  of  overheated  tents. 
After  the  Shrewsbury  experience  he  must  be  a  bold  man  who  will 
again,  as  was  done  not  so  long  since,  deprecate  the  association  of  small 
plants  and  foliage  with  Grapes  at  exhibitions.  The  product  of  the 
great  Grape  class  was  in  this  respect,  apart  from  the  splendid  nature 
of  the  Grapes,  an  eye-opener  and  a  surprise  to  everyone.  So  much  so, 
n  fact,  that  I  think  the  decorative  points  in  future  should  be  raised 
irom  six  to  ten.  If  the  new  plan  could  only  lead  to  the  abolition  of 
one  lines,  so  monotonous  in  appearance,  of  Grapes  on  boards,  and, 
indeed,  of  fruit  of  any  description,  the  use  of  flowers  and  foliage  for 
decorative  purposes  being  made  compulsory  with  all  classes,  what 
a  gain  would  result  !  There  is  nothing  so  much  needed  to  render 
flower  shows  more  attractive  than  the  introduction  of  higher  decorative 
effects  in  staging.  We  see  its  beauty  in  the  dessert  tables,  and  now 
in  the  great  Grape  class.  I  hope  the  Shrewsbury  Committee  will 
extend  that  feature  next  year. 
The  Scotsmen  are  naturally  proud  that  the  two  first  prizes  in  the 
Grape  class  went  to  Scotland.  The  Land  o’  Cakes  has  always  been 
celebrated  for  its  Grapes,  and  it  would  seem  as  if  its  cooler  and  moister 
climate  helped  to  that  end.  But  if  the  class  be  continued,  as  of 
course  it  must  be,  it  is  hoped  that  southern  growers  will  have  a  hard 
try  next  year.  Still,  to  win  such  a  prize  young  Vines,  or  fairly  young 
ones,  are  essential.  The  southern  grower  who  can  yet  excel  Mr. 
Lunt’s  grand  bunches  will  be,  for  the  time  at  least,  a  horticultural 
hero.  But  it  is  interesting  to  know  that  Mr.  Lunt  is  of  English 
parentage,  and  that  a  little  tones  the  triumph  of  the  Scotsmen.  Like 
Captain  Corcoran,  of  II.M.S.  Pinafore,  we  may  sing  of  him,  that  “  In 
spite  of  all  temptations  to  belong  to  other  nations,  he  remains  an 
Englishman.”  ' 
Looking  through  one  large  tent  almost  filled  with  beautiful  Sweet 
Peas  and  meeting  that  venerable  greybeard  Mr.  Eckford,  who  has  done 
more  than  any  living  man  to  make  the  Sweet  Pea  what  it  is,  I 
could  but  offer  him  hearty  congratulations  and  proclaim  him  to  be  the 
flower  hero.  It  was  exceedingly  interesting  to  note  how  diversely 
were  these  lovely  flowers  arranged.  The  somewhat  abused  Gypsophila 
was  in  great  use,  and  nothing  could  be  more  pleasing.  Those  who 
favour  cutting  Sweet  Pea  stems  low  down  to  include  buds  and  tops, 
would  have  been  cured  of  that  notion  had  they  seen  some  so  displayed. 
The  large  stems  could  not  take  up  the  needful  water  to  keep  them  firm. 
The  eighteen  bunches  set  up  by  Mr.  Aldersey  of  Shrewsbury  in  glasses 
of  varying  height,  Gypsophila  being  moderately  used  and  rather  low 
down  to  keep  the  Pea  stems  in  place,  were  exquisite.  Besides 
presenting  an  object  lesson  in  staging,  they  were  of  the  finest 
varieties  Mr.  Eckford  has  sent  out. 
I  am  tempted  to  ask  whether  the  plant  group  arrangers  have  come 
to  the  end  of  their  tether.  Certainly  they  have  at  Shrewsbury  ample 
encouragement  and  scope,  but  the  designs  and  arrangements  seem  to 
be  reproduced.  Mr.  Blair’s  beautiful  arrangement  was  bolder  and  less 
complicated  than  Mr.  Cypher’s,  and  the  general  effect  was  at  once 
more  striking  and  pleasing.  With  all  due  deference  to  these  eminent 
groupers,  I  should  like  to  see  all  cork  combinations,  whether  as  arches 
or  otherwise,  abolished.  The  style  of  thing  thus  presented  is  too 
“  cockneyfied.”  We  have  such  glorious  plants  of  every  description 
that  aid  of  that  sort  rather  offends  than  pleases.  Possibly  to  secure 
new  or  more  varied,  and  thus  more  attractive,  arrangements,  it  may 
be  needful  to  prescribe  new  conditions.  The  best  dressed  pond  of  a 
given  area,  with  beautiful  aquatics  and  semi -aquatics,  for  instance, 
would  arouse  great  interest. 
Vegetables  were  very  fine  for  the  season,  indeed  quite  surpassed  in 
both  quantity  and  quality  my  expectations.  But  it  will  not  do  to 
assume  that  therefore  that  they  were  up  to  high-water  mark.  It  was 
impossible  that  with  such  weather  they  could  be.  Very  probably  some 
of  our  requirements  seem  high,  but  the  standard  of  merit  must  be 
upheld,  let  the  season  be  what  it  may.  Out  of  the  large  total  of 
170  dishes  that  were  pointed  in  four  classes,  only  sixteen  had  the 
maximum  of  points  awarded.  Many  ranged  one  point,  one  and  a  half, 
and  even  two  points  below;  but  then  these  figures  were  chiefly  found 
in  the  collections  low  down.  Could  the  same  judges  take  the  same 
classes  on  the  same  basis  of  points  another  year,  using  prepared  cards 
for  the  purpose,  it  would  be  exceedingly  interesting  to  note  how  the 
quality  stood  then  as  compared  with  that  of  such  a  difficult  year  as  the 
present.  We  may  well  hope  that  the  end  of  the  dry  cycle  of  years 
has  been  reached,  and  that  summers  of  a  more  desirable  nature  may  be 
in  store  for  us. 
I  conclude  these  bizarre  notes  on  the  great  Show  with  a  reference 
to  the  management.  I  notice  that  two  of  your  contemporaries  have 
been  giving  portraits  of  the  esteemed  and  singularly  able  Secretaries. 
But  whilst  the  pictures  of  Mr.  Naunton  are  very  happy,  those  of 
Mr.  Adnitt,  whilst  giving  the  features  correctly,  seem  to  fail  in  giving 
the  very  pleasant,  happy  expression,  which  seems  always  to  animate 
his  countenance.  Now  I  do  not  know  whether  in  both  cases  expression 
is  entirely  indicative  of  character,  but  I  think  it  must  be,  for  whilst 
Shrewsbury  is  without  doubt  the  biggest  show  of  its  kind  in  the 
kingdom,  nowrhere  does  management  run  more  smoothly,  everything 
being  devoid  of  hurry,  worry,  or  scurry,  than  there.  I  could  wish  some 
of  the  officials  of  small  shows  I  occasionally  meet  with  could  see  how 
the  Shrewsbury  Secretaries  conduct  their  business.  It  would  be  a 
valuable  object  lesson. — A.  D. 
