12 



JOURNAL OP HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



t January 1, 1874. 



1200 and 1300 aerei?, and in which is what is said to be the 

 grave of Bevis of Hampt^n. We will, however, preface our 

 correspondent's jottings with a brief outline of the history of 

 the place. 



A tradition of Sussex alleges that in the Bevis Tower of 

 Arundel Castle resided the giant so named, that he had a 

 weekly allowance of one ox, two hogsheads of beer, and cor- 

 responding quantities of bread and mustard. Moreover that 

 his horse was named Hiroudelle, after which not only the 

 castle was named but the whole district, now corrupted into 

 Ai'undel. We are contented to believe that the name means 

 the broad dell or valley along which the river Arun passes. 

 Even in early Anglo-Saxon times it was a place of mark, for 

 King Alfred devised to his nephew Anthelm the Manor of 

 Arundel. In Domesday Book it is called " the castle of 

 Harundel," and was given by William the Conqueror to his 

 favourite military chief and relative Roger de Montgomery, but 

 as he revolted and supported the king's rebel son this estate 

 was forfeited to the Crown. Henry I. settled the estates and 

 earldom on his second wife Alice of Loraine who subsequently 

 married William de Albini, and by marriage one of their 

 descendants brought it to a Fitz Alan, who assumed the earl- 

 dom " by tenure ouly." In 1579 it again passed by marriage 

 to Howard, Duke of Norfolk. Philip, Earl of Arundel, his son, 

 was attainted, and Queen Elizabeth seized the Honour of 

 Arundel, but it was restored to his son in 1009, and has since 

 remained the possession of the family. 



During the parliamentary war the castle was battered down 

 by Sir WUliam Waller in 1643. Thomas, Duke of Norfolk, 

 in 171G, added and fitted-up a brick building for temporary 

 residence, but this was removed in 1796. In 1786 Charles, 

 Duke of Norfolk, restored the Castle according to his own 

 design. The square tower of the N.E. angle was begun in 

 1791, and the south front in 1795. The Great or Baron's 

 Hall on the western side of the Court was begun in 1806, and 

 connected with a chapel at the north end. 'The new gateway 

 was begun in 1809. 'The Keep, a circular tower, and some of 

 the walls of the ancient Castle remain. The Owls were kept 

 in the Keep. 



Althohgh it is now upwards of twenty-five years since I 

 visited Arundel, yet the little change which the town has under- 

 gone was to me striking ; it seems to be at a standstill, not- 

 withstanding that the railway has been brought nearer it, and 

 the distance from London has been shortened from upwards of 

 seventy to less than sixty miles. In the gardens, on the other 

 hand, great alterations and improvements have been effected ; 

 trees have grown-up that were merely young plants, and the 

 extent of glass has been largely increased. 



From the commanding position of the castle, the pleasure 

 grounds surrounding it present a great diversity of level, 

 sometimes ascending to the Castle, at others overlooking the 

 pasture land of the vale. By the side of cue of the walks 

 two noble specimens of Cupressus macrocarpa, which must be 

 upwards of 35 feet high, form conspicuous objects, and near 

 them is an Irish Yew 25 feet high, together with fine examples 

 of Thujopsis borealis and dolabrata, Abies Smithiana from 

 50 to CO feet in height, and Picea cephalonica. A Cedar of 

 Lebanon, stated to have been planted in 1830, has branched 

 low down the stem, and covers a space 60 yards in circum- 

 ference. Paulownia imperialis, besides its noble foliage, offers 

 .in additional attraction in its flowers, which are produced 

 every year. Passing by a valley on the left, the banks of 

 which bear a profusion of the common Hart's Tongue Ft rn, 

 and are overhung with Tews and tall timber trees at the back, 

 the flower garden is reached through a new gateway, close to 

 which are the ruins of the old barbican. This garden, of 

 which the accompanying is a representation, from a photo- 

 graph by Mr. Russell, of Chichester, is of great extent, and 

 when the bedding plants are in full bloom it must have a 

 brilliant effect, especially when viewed from the Keep, to 

 which the public are admitted on certain days. It is entirely 

 within the ramparts, along which the Pampas Grass waves its 

 silvery plumes, and the walls are partly clad with Ivy, while 

 on other parts fruit trees are trained. The most conspicuous 

 objects at present are the magnificent standard Portugal 

 Laurels, several of them standing 12 feet high, and some fine 

 Bays. The borders at the sides are filled with herbaceous 

 plants ; and as a proof of the mildness of the climate of 

 Arundel, and of the mildness of the winter as well, it may be 

 remarked that within a week of Christmas Veronicas and 

 Chrysanthemums, also bedding Pansies, were in full bloom. 



At one end of the flower garden is a Loquat tree, but this, 

 though it flowered two years in succession, has not as yet 

 fruited, even though one year it was covered with glass. 



On passing-out of the flower garden on the opposite side, 

 one finds oneself on the edge of a steep hiU, commanding an 

 extensive view over the Mid-Sussex Railway, with pasture 

 land in the foreground, while at the foot of the hill is a kitchen 

 garden of 4 acres, through which runs a stream, where Water- 

 cress is grown in abundance. From its low position I should 

 conclude that spring frosts would be destructive here ; and it 

 is probably on that account that only the hardier kinds of vege- 

 tables are grown there. Along the edge of the hill a walk skirts 

 the outside of the Castle. On the bank on one side a profusion 

 of Soolopeudriums and Polystiohums delight the eye, while 

 the steep declivity on the other is studded with Box, Yews, 

 and Hollies, and nearer the base with lofty Oak, Ash, and 

 Beech trees. 



I next entered what is called the Castle Park, to distinguish 

 it from the larger park. The sides of the boundary walks are 

 planted with Araucarias and Deodars, the whole area being 

 surrounded with Laurustinus, Hollies, and mixed shrubbery, 

 with Lime, Thorns, Spruce, Elms, and Oaks in the back- 

 ground. I was much interested in some of the trees in this 

 park, and for this reason — two of the Oaks planted by Her 

 Majesty and the late Prince Consort in December, 1846, had 

 been there only a few months at the time of my former visit, 

 and slow-growing as the Oak is, they are now trees. That 

 planted by the Prince Consort is much the finer tree, and one 

 would suppose it to be a quicker-growing species. A Crypto- 

 meria, planted by H.R.H. the late Duchess of Kent in 1848, 

 is now a noble specimen ; and a Wellingtouia planted Oct. 8th, 

 1858, long after my visit, I should judge at little less than 

 30 feet high. In this park there are two tanks, one to supply 

 the town, and one for the Castle ; but in the Great Park there 

 are, besides, two largo tanks as a reserve. 



Next I will glance at the kitchen garden and forcing depart- 

 ment, and before coming to the principal one, containing the 

 glass structures, I will take the outlying portions. First there 

 is an orchard of 5 acres, in which is also the frame ground, 

 where Sea-kale, Rhubarb, Asparagus, Potatoes, &a., are exten- 

 sively forced, whilst lif;ht after light was filled with Lettuces, 

 as well as with Strawberries, in readiness for being forced. 

 Passing through a tunnel under the London road, with the 

 sides of the walk planted with Cedars, Yews, Aucubas, and 

 other shrubs, we come to another large kitchen garden partly 

 walled, and the walls planted with Peaches and Nectarines, 

 Plums, and Cherries, and the borders with Apples and Pears, 

 Gooseberries, and Currants. A considerable portion of the 

 ground slopes southward, and is consequently well adapted 

 for the production of early crops, and though the sea can be 

 seen from the higher portion, the position is well sheltered by 

 woods from the sweep of the winds. 



Next comes the walled garden, in which are the forcing 

 houses, having an area of some 5 acres. The principal walls 

 surrounding it are 16 feet high, and provided with broad 

 wooden copings ; they are planted with Peaches, Apricots, 

 Figs, Pears, Plums, and Cherries, according to aspect, and the 

 borders with trees of the last three fruits and with Apples. 

 Some quenouille-traiued Pear trees 10 feet high are found very 

 productive. Against the south wall is the old lean-to range, 

 nearly in a line with the gardener's house, where, by the way, 

 was a hedge of Roses in bud and bloom. It is upwards cf 

 50 yards in length, about 18 feet wide, and is in three divi- 

 sions, the first being a Peach house, and the other two vine- 

 ries. The whole was undergoing repair preparatory for forcing, 

 which, but for that ch-cumstance, would have been commenced 

 at an earlier period. There is an ample provision of shelves 

 all round, as well as at top, for Strawberrry-forcing and other 

 purposes. On the wall at the west end of this range is a large 

 old Wistaria, which extends 160 or 170 feet along the top of 

 the west wall. 



The Pine pits run parallel to the last-mentioned range, and 

 are three-quarter-span, 48 j'ards long, and in three divisions, 

 two of which are occupied by fruiting and the other by suc- 

 cession plants. The front sashes slide down, and the back 

 lights are also moveable, pushing outwards. For bottom 

 heat Oak leaves are employed. The varieties grown are the 

 Smooth-leaved Cayenne, Charlotte Rothschild, Black Antigua, 

 Black Jamaica, Moscow Queen, and a few Montserrat. Several 

 fruit ripe and ripening were large and handsome. Shelves at 

 the back and in front are utilised for Strawberry-forcing, Ac. 



Next comes a fine new range consisting of two iron lean-to 



