150 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
February  13,  1896. 
IN  HAWARDEN  PARK. 
During  the  summer  Hawarden  parish  church  is  a  centre  of 
attraction  to  the  tourist,  both  American  and  British.  Travellers  on  the 
way  to  or  from  Ireland  time  themselves  so  as  to  arrive  at  Chester  on 
Friday  or  Saturday.  The  American  traveller,  whatever  day  he  may 
land  at  Liverpool,  makes  a  point  of  staying  over  the  first  week’s  end, 
and  the  Britain-enamoured  Briton,  taking  his  holiday  in  the  interesting 
regions  of  his  own  country,  does  the  same.  From  Chester,  with  its 
picturesque  streets,  if s  gaunt  remnants  of  gigantic  Roman  walls,  its  red 
cathedral  with  crumbling  stones  and  tattered  flags  and  general  look  of 
airy  emptiness,  is,  for  the  nonce,  only  taken  by  the  way.  The  tourist 
on  the  next  Sunday  morning  takes 'his  ticket  to  Broughton  Hall  or 
Sandycroft,  unless  it  rains  (when  he  goes  by  another  line  straight  on  to 
Hawarden  station),  for.  in  order  to  enjoy  the  day’s  pleasures  to  the  full, 
he  takes  en  route  for  Hawarden  village  a  long  and  beautiful  country 
walk,  where  sea  breezes  play  aTound  him,  while  he  walks  under  ancient 
Oaks  and  Elms  and  Beeches ;  where  the  sunlight  lies  broad  and  golden 
on  a  hundred  fields ;  where  the  sands  of  Dee,  and  hills  with  white  and 
rosy  lights  upon  them,  close  the  wide  view  to  the  right ;  and  where, 
straight  before  him,  rise  in  dreamy  grandeur  the  spurs  of  the 
Welsh  hills,  reminding  one,  as  does  no  other  range  of  hills  in  England, 
of  the  first  view  of  the  Alps  when  Basle  lies  behind  and  Lucerne  in 
front. 
Then  there  is  Hawarden  village  on  the  hilltop.  Clean  and  quiet 
and  just  a  little  sleepy  it  looks  on  a  Sunday  morning,  when  the  blue 
smoke  rising  from  the  comfortable  cottages  seems  to  be  the  only  thing 
that  moves  for  several  morning  hours.  You  have  not  been  in  time,  you 
tourist  folk,  to  hear  the  early  bells,  and  see  the  small  stream  of  villagers 
who  regularly  go  into  the  wrought-iron  gates  leading  to  the  graveyard 
and  to  the  parish  church  before  8  A.M.  That  stream  runs  steadily  each 
Sunday  morning  from  the  village  to  St.  Deiniol’s  Church,  and  on  the 
spot  where  the  pigeons,  with  silvery  white  wings,  flutter  around  the 
heavy  Ivy-covered  gates  leading  into  the  grounds  of  Hawarden  Castle, 
another  human  stream  flows  into  that  of  the  village.  For  there  is  no 
Sunday  in  the  year,  while  “  the  family  ”  is  at  home,  when  some  members 
at,  least  of  Mr.  Gladstone’s  home  circle  do  not  go  to  the  early  service. 
Up  to  a  very  recent  date  one  figure  was  never  missing  in  the  partv 
coming  through  the  Castle  gates  at  this  hour.  Whether  the  sun  shone 
or  the  rain  fell,  whether  the  storm  tossed  about  the  branches  of  the 
trees  in  which  he  takes  such  pride  and  pleasure,  or  whether  from  the 
plains  below  there  rose  the  thick  white  famous  (or  is  it  infamous  ?) 
Welsh  mist,  Mr.  Gladstone  himself  began  his  day  invariably  with  paying 
his  tribute  to  his  God  in  the  services  of  the  Church,  which  he  believes 
will  always  be  faithful  to  her  trust,  and  to  which  he  has  adhered  all  the 
days  of  his  life. 
There  is  a  very  beautiful  private  walk  of  somewhat  over  half  a  mile 
from  Hawarden  Castle  to  the  village  church,  and  along  that  walk  Mr. 
Gladstone  has  walked  innumerable  times,  always  bound  for  St. 
Deiniol  s  Church.  This  walk  leads  upwards  first,  past  a  magnificent 
sloping  lawn,  where  once  stood  many  of  the  finest  trees  on  this  finely 
timbered  estate.  Even  now  there  is  a  cluster  of  Beeches  of  such 
exquisite  beauty  that  as  you  look  up  the  long,  slender,  graceful  stems 
you  are  reminded  at  once,  if  you  happen  to  have  seen  them,  of  those 
“  poems  in  stone  ’’—the  pillars  in  Cologne  Cathedral.  Mr.  Gladstone, 
as  he  sits  in  his  private  library,  his  “Temple  of  Peace,”  at  that  one  of 
the  three  desks  which  is  known  as  the  “  literary  ”  table,  looks  out  on 
this  unique  group  of  slender  trees  whose  heads  are  up  in  the  blue,  higher 
than  the  turrets  of  the  Castle. 
On  the  right,  as  you  ascend  the  path  that  passes  close  by  the  ruins  of 
the  old  Castle,  you  see  an  Oak  of  enormous  size,  which  stretches  its 
fantastic  branches  over  you.  In  Mr.  Ruskin’s  opinion,  this  tree,  to 
which  a  century  is  but  a  short  period  of  existence,  is  as  near  the 
perfection  of  a  tree  as  you  find  it  anywhere  in  this  country.  The 
lawn  itself,  sloping  towards  the  Castle  and  the  walled-in  Italian  garden, 
was  for  many  years  a  great  delight  to  Mr.  Gladstone.  But  the  storms 
have  played  havoc  with  many  of  the  finest  trees  on  it,  and  now,  though 
to  others  who  did  not  know  it  before  some  of  the  giants  fell  it  looks  still 
a  remarkably  fine  slope,  he  shakes  his  head  at  it.  and  observes  that  “  it 
looks  like  a  field.” 
Through  a  small  Gothic  gate  you  reach  the  private  path  in  the  open 
park— a  green,  secluded  walk  full  of  bird  life  all  the  year  round,  and 
with  here  and  there  a  fine  view  of  the  lower  parts  of  the  grounds.  On 
the  border  of  the  enclosure,  through  which  this  path  leads  to  the  gates, 
a  graceful  building  in  black  and  white  wood,  not  unlike  an  ornamental 
Swiss  cb&let,  reflects  the  sunlight  in  its  large  windows.  Miss  Glynne, 
the  daughter  of  the  late  Rector  of  Hawarden,  lives  in  this  house,  in  the 
building  of  which  there  was  an  interesting  period  ;  for  when  the  spot 
was  decided  upon  where  the  house  was  to  be  erected  the  whole  of  the 
Gladstone  family  set  to  work  to  clear  away  the  trees  and  the  dense 
underwood  with  which  the  whole  of  the  site  was  covered.  And  they 
did  not  play  at  doing  this,  but  worked  as  hard  and  as  steadily  as  might 
a  colony  of  settlers  somewhere  in  Canadian  backwoods  where  domestic 
life  could  only  commence  after  the  ground  had  been  cleared,  the  log  hut 
built,  and  the  home-made  furniture  established.  Every  member  of 
the  household  helped.  Mr.  Gladstone  and  his  sons  with  their  axes 
felled  the  trees,  and  Mrs.  Gladstone  and  her  daughters  cut  off 
branches,  removed  underwood,  and  gave  a  helping  hand  wherever 
they  could.  Nor  did  they  ever  leave  off  till  they  were  thoroughly 
tired  out,  and  could  look  back  upon  a  fair  day’s  work, — (“  Westminster 
Gazette.”) 
HARDY  FRUIT  GARDEN. 
Pruning  Bush  Gooseberries. — The  liability  which  Gooseberry 
bushes  have  to  suffer  from  serious  depredations  by  bullfinches  and 
sparrows,  which  pick  out  the  buds  wholesale  in  many  cases,  leads 
numbers  of  fruit  growers  to  defer  the  necessary  pruning  until  the  present 
month.  Therefore  where  the  bushes  have  not  previously  been  dealt  with 
as  regards  winter  pruning,  the  operation  must  not  be  unduly  delayed. 
Gooseberries  fruit  largely  on  young  wood  of  the  previous  year,  and  in 
pruning  the  aim  ought  to  be  to  retain  a  fair  amount  of  well  placed  young 
growths  distributed  regularly  over  the  trees.  In  practice  it  is  usually 
most  desirable  to  thin  out  judiciously,  first  removing  the  most  crowded 
branches  and  those  which  descend  to  the  ground,  intercrossing  others  or 
growing  inwards.  Then  cut  out  weak  shoots  and  dead  wood.  A  favourite 
time  for  bird  attacks  is  when  the  buds  are  swelling.  On  the  completion 
of  pruning  dust  the  bushes  with  lime  or  soot  on  a  damp  day.  Strands 
of  black  cotton  also  protect  them. 
Pruning  Gooseberries  and  Currants  on  Walls.— The  branches 
being  trained  9  inches  apart,  cordon  fashion,  on  a  wall  or  fence, 
the  pruning  is  carried  out  in  a  different  way  from  that  of  Goose¬ 
berry  bushes  in  the  open.  Spurs  are  originated  on  the  front  by 
summer  pruning  the  young  wood  in  June,  cutting  each  shoot  back  to 
within  an  inch  of  the  base  at  the  winter  pruning.  Thus  fruitful  buds 
are  formed  close  to  the  branches,  and  birds  do  not  as  a  rule  attack  them. 
Pruning  Currant  Bushes. — BlacTi  Currants. — These  are  pruned 
on  the  lines  of  bush  Gooseberries,  leaving  in  young  wood  at  full  length, 
and  pruning  out  some  of  the  old.  Also  thin  out  and  regulate  so  as  to 
fashion  symmetrical  bushes  which  are  invariably  more  fruitful  than 
ill-sh&pen  examples. 
Red  and  White  Currants.— These  are  grown  with  a  certain  number 
of  main  branches,  each  of  which  is  furnished  with  spurs  that  bear  the 
annual  crops,  the  young  wood  issuing  therefrom  being  shortened  in 
summer  and  further  reduced  in  winter  to  within  an  inch  of  its  origin, 
leaving  clusters  of  basal  buds.  The  leading  growths  require  shortening 
at  the  same  time  to  6  or  8  inches,  which  induces  the  emission  of  side 
growths  the  following  year.  Fully  grown  trees  must,  however,  have 
the  extensions  cut  closely  in  similar  to  the  side  growths. 
Pruning  and  Training  BEorello  Cherries  on  Walls. — The 
system  of  training  in  young  wood  annually  is  the  best  to  adopt,  treating 
the  growths  much  after  the  same  manner  as  Peaches.  The  method 
affords  opportunity  to  re  arrange  the  trees  on  the  wall  cr  trellis  ;  worn 
out  shoots  or  branches  can  be  readily  replaced  by  others,  while  the 
origination  of  fresh  growths  in  any  parts  of  the  trees  is  easily 
accomplished.  While  the  trees  are  away  from  the  wall  cleanse  the 
branches  and  shoots  with  an  insecticide,  and  fillup  the  holes  and  crevices 
in  brick  walls  with  mortar. 
In  retraining  fasten  first  the  principal  then  the  secondary  branches 
in  position,  and  finally  the  young  shoots,  training  in  as  far  as  possible 
those  from  the  upper  sides  of  the  secondary  branches.  Avoid  tight 
fastenings,  also  too  many  ties  or  nails. 
Pruning  Sweet  ciierrles  and  Plums  on  Walls.  —  The  best 
form  for  training  these  trees  on  walls  is  the  fan-shaped,  branches 
radiating  at  equal  distances  from  a  common  centre  or  main  stem.  Each 
of  these  is  furnished  with  spurs,  which  continue  fruitful  under  a  regular 
system  of  management.  This  consists  in  summer  pruning  the  foreright 
shoots,  so  as  to  concentrate  the  vigour  on  the  lower  buds,  these  being 
destined  for  fruiting  buds.  The  shoots  thus  shortened  in  winter  are  cut 
back  further  to  a  length  of  inch.  In  forming  trees  from  young 
specimens,  the  leading  growths  are  not  shortened  in  summer,  and  not 
closely  in  winter.  This,  however,  will  be  necessary  when  the  branches 
have  reached  their  limit  of  extension. 
While  the  trees  can  be  kept  healthy  and  fruitful  under  the  above 
system  of  management,  there  is  no  need  to  change  it,  but  it  frequently 
happens  that  a  branch  may  be  lost  from  a  large  tree  through  some 
cause,  and  another  to  take  its  place  is  not  forthcoming  in  a  suitable 
position.  In  this  case  the  space  may  be  filled  by  training  in  vigorous 
shoots  from  adjoining  branches.  Such  shoots  bear  when  two  years  old, 
sometimes  earlier.  After  fruiting  they  may  be  removed  to  make  room 
for  others  similarly  treated  or  remain  permanent.  It  is  very  necessary 
to  avoid  overcrowding,  because  no  form  of  growth  can  be  fruitful 
without  a  due  share  of  light  and  abundance  of  air. 
Bate  Planting-  Fruit  Trees  — The  weather  has  been  favourable 
for  planting  for  some  time,  yet  all  trees  may  not  yet  be  planted, 
hence  it  is  desirable  that  they  should  be  assigned  their  proper  positions 
in  well-prepared  ground  as  soon  as  possible.  If  obtained  in  autumn 
and  properly  laid  in  temporarily  it  is  probable  they  will  have  formed  a 
number  of  rootlels,  especially  if  the  injured  and  broken  ends  of  the  roots 
were  smoothly  pruned.  If  these  details  of  root-trimming  were  not 
carried  out  at  the  period  named,  they  must  be  attended  to  when  planting. 
Avoid  deep  holes.  Those  shallow  and  wide  are  the  best,  because  in 
them  the  roots  can  be  spread  out  to  their  fullest  extent,  which  is  most 
desirable.  Lay  them  out  in  this  manner  evenly,  commencing  with  the 
lowest  layers.  Spread  fine  soil  over  them  outwards  from  the  stem. 
This  is  the  most  rational  method  of  covering  the  roots,  which  are 
