JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
98 
.. ' 
[ July 29, 1880. 
and that district is also exempt. Correspondents from other 
parts of Ireland, except in one or two isolated localities, confirm 
these facts. This means millions — much more than the most 
beneficial legislation—to the humbler classes in Ireland. We 
grow Ashleaf Kidney, Early Rose, Flourball, and Flounders for 
early crop ; for late—Champions, Scotch Downs, &c. All are in 
admirable condition, especially Champions, 4 feet high with fine 
upright haulm. The weather is favourable.—W. J. M., Clonmel. 
A DAY IN BEDFORDSHIRE.—No. 1. 
Just before the occurrence of the heavy storms that were so 
general about the middle of the present month I found myself 
journeying from London to Southill station via Hitchin, my 
destination being Old Warden, a picturesque village four miles 
from Biggleswade. The bulk of the hay crops between London 
and Hitchin were fortunately secured, but those in the valley of 
the Ouse were only just cut, and many tons of the produce have 
been unhappily washed away. The grain crops of the district 
traversed between Hitchen and Bedford were full, bold, and 
upstanding—a bountiful prospect then, but now the crops are 
flattened to the earth. Strawberries in the gardens were most 
abundant, and much fruit was gathered before the storms occurred, 
but a vast quantity was destroyed by the heavy and continued 
downpour and rotted on the ground. Boses and flowers, generally 
so fresh and bright on the 10th inst., were a week afterwards 
dashed in pieces, and a flourishing district was despoiled of its 
beauty, causing disappointment and loss to gardeners and farmers. 
This, it is feared, is but an example of the effects of the storm that 
was almost general, and which will be seriously felt for a long 
time by those engaged in the cultivation of the soil; but I must 
refer to 
OLD WARDEN. 
This, the ancestral seat of the late Lord Ongley, passed by 
purchase during the lifetime of the last lord of that title into the 
possession of Joseph Shuttleworth, Esq., whose Lincolnshire 
mansion — Hartsholme Hall — was illustrated and the gardens 
described in the Journal of March 9th, 1876. 
The time is not opportune for telling the story of the life of the 
squire of Old Warden, but whenever it is written it will be one of 
the many instances that could be cited, that a life of well-applied 
labour founded on sound judgment brings a reward to those who 
see in advance a coming want and promptly determine and un¬ 
ceasingly labour to meet it. This is what Mr. Shuttleworth and 
his colleague Mr. Clayton have done. These once manual workers, 
seeing further than their fellow men, were the pioneers of the 
steam machinery revolution as applied to agriculture, and they 
now admittedly stand at the head of that industry, which has 
proved of incalculable benefit to the whole civilised world. Those 
who have achieved results so great deserve a fitting reward, and 
Mr. Shuttleworth merits, amongst other marks of distinction, the 
position he adorns as a magistrate of two counties, a director of 
the Great Northern railway, and a member of the Council of the 
Royal Agricultural Society of England, besides being High Sheriff 
elect of the county of Bedford. 
So much in brief relative to the owner of Old Warden, and now 
let us glance at the estate. It consists of about three thousand 
acres of excellent land, principally arable, meadow, and market 
gardens, with a moderate extent of woods, a richly timbered and 
beautifully undulated park, a noble mansion, fine pleasure grounds, 
a small garden, and model village. The garden will probably be 
larger some day, a commencement having been made by the 
erection of an admirable range of glass by Messrs. Foster and 
Pearson. The alterations and improvements that have been in 
progress during the past four or five years have been most exten¬ 
sive and costly, and instead of being surprised that a garden com¬ 
mensurate in size with the mansion and estate has not yet been 
made, the real wonder is that so much has been effected. The old 
mansion was taken down, and a fine structure in the Tudor style 
has been erected on the site, everything having been done that 
skill could accomplish and science suggest to render it complete. 
The striking feature of the building is the castellated clock tower, 
the clock being a reduced counterpart of that in the tower of the 
Houses of Parliament at Westminster, the chimes of both being 
identical. This massive building in Bath stone has a fine effect as 
viewed amongst and rising above the grand old Elms, Oaks, Limes, 
and Beeches in the park. The stables adjacent are appropriately 
massive and ornamental. This is not the place to describe them, 
but it may be said that they are not surpassed if equalled in the 
Queen's dominions. All the farmsteads on the estate have been 
rebuilt in the most approved manner. Cottages in the village have 
been renovated or rebuilt, and furnished with all necessary appli¬ 
ances for making them healthy and comfortable homes. The once 
rough rising banks from the road to the cottage gardens have been 
turfed, two rows of bricks on edge forming the base above the 
road level. Evergreen and flowering shrubs have been planted in 
prominent positions with Ivy and creepers for the dwellings ; the 
whole being kept in order, the Ivy cut once a year, the green 
Holly hedges with fine standards of the Golden Queen at intervals 
trimmed at the proper season, and the turf banks kept like a lawn 
by Mr, Allis, the gardener; indeed the village appears like a 
portion of the pleasure grounds. The great amount of labour 
necessitated on the estate has been of great advantage to the 
village and district, especially during the last two severe winters, 
when work was always found for willing workers. 
We pass to the pleasure grounds. These are wholly on one side 
of the house, extending in a north-easterly direction to what is the 
great feature of the grounds—the Swiss garden. Some grand old 
Junipers and Cypresses tower aloft from the lawns, and the walks 
pass under a thick canopy of foliage of the closely planted 
deciduous trees, which have an undergrowth of Laurels. There 
are avenues of Yews and Spruce with cool grassy glades, and here 
and there specimen trees and Conifers in commanding positions. 
Only one of these need be noticed, and that only about 9 feet 
high, but it is Abies pygmea ; and a specimen of that diminutive 
Spruce, a dense cone of the height named, with a base 8 feet in 
diameter, is not often seen. During several years of absence of 
Lord Ongley the grounds were neglected, and much labour will 
be required to put all the trees, shrubs, &c., in order ; but a com¬ 
mencement has been made, and all will be accomplished in due 
time. 
The Swiss garden has been “brought round,” and a more 
picturesque and thoroughly enjoyable enclosure than this is can 
scarcely be imagined. It may be described as the life work of 
Lord Ongley—the “ old Lord ” as he is termed, and unquestionably 
a vast amount of labour and great taste have been employed in 
its formation. It is an enclosure of eight acres, but so planted 
and arranged as to appear considerably larger. It has been 
thoroughly renovated and improved, Mr. Allis having in this 
work had the valuable guidance of Mr. Milner, the well-known 
landscape gardener. The enclosure is sheltered by trees on three 
sides, being partly open to the south, and is surrounded by a 
gravel walk, from which most picturesque views are had of the 
ground below ; for the enclosure may be generally described as 
a hollow, but broken by bold mounds and groups of trees on 
raised stations—indeed it is a series of deep grassy dells, and 
elevations more or less abrupt. Here and there are fine specimen 
trees—Cedars of Lebanon, lofty Junipers, luxuriant and graceful 
Hemlock Spruces, and fine examples of Araucarias, two of which, 
the male and female forms, have produced many cones. There is a 
miniature grove and Spruce avenue, with a narrow tortuous stream 
enclosing small islands and forming little cascades ; ornamental 
bridges cross the stream, and large wired arches are thrown across 
the glades for Vines and hoses, &c. There are Rose trees—real trees 
—by the sides of the walks laden with a wealth of bloom, old varie¬ 
ties whose names are forgotten, but most beautiful and sweet. In a 
prominent position is a Swiss cottage—not a mere apology for a 
structure of this name, but a beautifully finished edifice that was 
once the home of the keeper of the garden, but not now per¬ 
manently occupied. This quaintly attractive cottage and its well- 
planned site is exceedingly ornamental. Almost in the centre of 
the grounds, and hidden from view but for the glimpse of a dome 
of glass which appears as if growing out of the ground and pro¬ 
truding through a mass of vegetation, is a glass structure with a 
semicircular roof. It appears to have been formed to shelter the 
old Wistarias that cover the roof. This almost buried structure is 
entered by long passages, into which light is admitted here and 
there through stained glass windows. These arched corridors 
were originally of plain brickwork, but they have been transformed 
into stalactite caverns by Mr. Pulham of Broxbourne, who with 
great skill has imparted to the interior a singularly romantic 
appearance. In the walls pockets have been formed for Ferns and 
other suitable plants, which Mr. Allis is establishing as rapidly as 
possible. This rugged, grotesque, and almost subterranean fernery 
comes as a surprise from the great expanse of smooth and admir¬ 
ably kept lawn of the garden, and once fairly out of the passage 
the stranger would be a little puzzled to find the entrance through 
the skilfully planted shrubs. The prevailing greenery of the 
garden with its Ivy-clad banks has been relieved and the effect 
brightened by Golden Yews, Golden Acacias, variegated Hollies, 
and other choice flowering and deciduous shrubs which have been 
freely yet tastefully planted by the present owner. Statuary, 
appropriately ancient, is also placed in different parts of the 
grounds. It is a beautiful and extremely diversified garden, and 
is worthily cherished both by its owner and gardener. It contains, 
however, few flowers, Mr. Allis with good taste almost limiting 
