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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
September  27,  19''0. 
Longford  Castle. 
There  have  always  been,  and  presumably  ever  will  be,  certain 
estates  situated  in  various  parts  of  the  country  that  have  a  particularly 
exalted  reputation  in  the  horticultural  world,  and  amongst  such  must 
be  classed  Longford  Castle,  the  seat  of  the  Earl  of  Eadnor,  near 
Salisbury.  This  position  has  been  attained  to  by  the  growth  of  years 
under  the  fostering  care  of  the  late  Earl  and  the  now  Dowager  Countess, 
whose  interest  in  the  garden,  and  indeed  in  the  whole  estate,  was  most 
profound.  Her  ladyship  especially  was  particularly  keen  in  all  things 
appertaining  to  the  garden,  and  the  result  of  this  may  be  seen  on  every 
hand.  Throughout  the  entire  park,  with  its  many  noble  trees,  large 
clumps  have  been  recently  planted,,  which  as  years  roll  on  will  add 
of  such  places  can,  and  indeed  has,  been  avoided.  The  garden,  which 
is  slightly  sunken,  contains  about  half  a  hundred  beds  of  various  sizes 
on  each  side  of  the  central  path.  At  the  end  furthest  from  the  castle 
the  gates  give  upon  the  road,  so  that  many  a  passer-by  may  have  a 
glimpse  of  the  beauties  within. 
The  pleasure  gardens  are  of  some  considerable  extent,  and  it 
is  by  no  means  easy  to  define  the  dividing  line  between  them  and 
the  woodland  walks.  As  one  wanders  here  and  there  one  may  be  for  a 
few  moments  amidst  the  purest  wood  scenery,  and  the  next  treading 
smooth  lawns  with  handsome  flowering  or  foliage  shrubs  on  every  hand. 
In  one  very  charming  respect  the  two  sections  are  combined,  and  that 
is  in  the  planting  of  bulbous  plants  on  the  grass  and  beneath  the  trees 
with  a  profusion  that  speaks  volumes  for  the  beauty  of  those  walks  in 
the  spring.  Needless  to  say  Daffodils  are  the  favourite  flowers  for  this 
Fig.  78.— THE  FLOWER  GARDEN,  LONGFORD  CASTLE. 
beauty  and  charm  to  an  already  splendid  estate.  Happily  both 
the  present  Earl,  who  has  served  his  country  in  South  Africa,  and 
Countess  of  Radnor  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  their  noble  parents,  in 
as  far  as  a  deep-rooted  love  of  their  home  is  concerned. 
Longford  Castle  itself  is  depicted  in  each  of  the  three  accompanying 
illustrations,  which  render  any  reference  to  its  ornate  character  wholly 
superfluous.  Surrounding  it  on  two  sides  are  the  pleasure  grounds,  on 
the  other  the  river,  and  on  the  fourth  the  superb  formal  garden  with 
woods  and  cool  shady  walks  beyond.  The  present  remarkable  garden 
was  formed  in  the  earlier  years  of  the  present  century,  the  first  one 
having  been  swept  away  by  “  Capability  ”  Brown  some  few  years 
previously.  The  two  sides  are  precisely  similar  in  form  of  the  beds,  and 
of  course  in  style  of  planting,  which  is  not  now  so  severely  formal  as 
was  once  the  case ;  obviously  it  would  not  be  in  keeping  to  plant  it  in 
with  mixed  flowers,  but  some  measure  of  the  flat  geometrical  precision 
purpose.  It  is  impossible  to  pass  through  all  the  grounds,  so  wo 
must  mention  one  of  the  features  and  then  pass  on.  This  is  an  iron 
church  which  finds  a  place  in  the  grounds  near  the  Castle.  Within 
there  is  some  most  handsome  carving  that  was  executed  by  the  late 
Earl,  whose  labours  in  the  adornment  of  the  sacred  edifice  were  con¬ 
tinued  well  nigh  to  the  hour  of  his  death.  The  designs  are  in  each 
case  very  beautiful. 
The  fruit  department  of  Longford  is  splendidly  equipped,  and  for 
several  years  constant  improvements  and  alterations  have  been  in 
progress.  New  houses  on  the  most  approved  principles  have  been 
erected  and  few  old  ones  now  remain.  Within  them  we  find  the 
customary  Peaches,  Nectarines,  Grapes,  and  Figs,  while  in  the  frames 
are  Melons  Earl’s  Favourite.  All  these  fruits  are  thoroughly  well 
grown  by  Mr.  E.  F.  Hazelton,  the  gardener,  but  the  Grapes  were 
perhaps  the  finest  when  this  visit  was  paid.  Heavy  cropping  throughout 
