JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  11,  1901. 
302 
Notes  from  Longford  Castle. 
To  a  gardener,  though  there  is  an  absence  of  the  summer’s  crops, 
there  is  sure  to  be  found  plenty  of  interesting  points  when  privileged 
with  a  first  inspection  of  a  garden,  even  in  the  month  of  March.  True, 
a  period  of  the  year  such  as  this  finds  the  slumbers  of  the  winter 
passing  away,  and  everything  bursting  forth  into  renewed  life,  giving 
hopes  of  useful  and  pleasant  anticipations  in  the  near  future ;  but  to 
the  visitor  the  realisations  of  distant  seasons  can  only  be  surmised. 
Longford  Castle  gardens  have  for  years  enjoyed  a  wide  reputation  for 
their  excellent  upkeep  ;  though  they  are  at  the  present  moment 
suffering  from  a  slight  depression  consequent  on  the  decease  of  the 
late  noble  owner,  and  the  serious  maladies  contracted  on  the  African 
veldt  by  the  present  Earl  of  Radnor,  which  necessitates  a  sojourn  in 
a  warmer  health-giving  climate. 
During  the  short  period  of  Mr.  Hazelton’ s  charge  of  the  extensive 
gardens  some  very  great  and  useful  alterations  have  been  carried  out 
in  the  removal  of  out-of-date,  and  the  erection  of  modern  structures, 
and  the  entire  remodelling  of  the  heating  system.  Seven  boilers 
formerly  did  what  two  large  ones  of  the  Trentham  type  do  now,  with 
much  greater  effect  and  ease  ;  economy  of  fuel  and  reduction  of  labour 
are  items  the  practical  gardener  is  ever  ready  to  endorse  when  an 
opportunity  offers.  This  Mr.  Hazelton  has  carried  out  with  marked 
success.  To  give  a  complete  history  of  what  has  been  done  and  is  still 
in  prospect  would  demand  too  much  space.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that 
though  results  have  not  lately  been  judged  by  competitive  successes, 
first-class  material  both  of  fruit  and  flower  is  by  no  means  sacrificed  in 
consequence  of  this  necessary  abstention. 
Fruit,  as  is  well  known,  has  long  since  been  a  strong  feature  of  the 
Longford  gardens,  and  still  is ;  all  kinds,  both  of  forced  and  hardy, 
being  in  evidence.  At  the  present  time  Strawberries  naturally  hold 
first  place,  and  judging  from  the  large  quantities  in  fruit  and  flower, 
and  the  successive  store  to  draw  upon,  these  are  grown  very  largely, 
and  uncommonly  well  too.  Royal  Sovereign  is,  as  in  most  places,  the 
favourite  kind,  though  President  and  Yicomtesse  retain  a  place. 
Shelves  in  the  fruit  houses  accommodate  hundreds,  and  others  occupy 
positions  in  heated  pits.  Excellent  ranges  of  lofty  vineries  indicate  the 
large  demand  there  is  for  Grapes.  Some  of  these  are  new,  and  built  in 
the  now  popular  teak  wood  ;  some  are  lean-to,  others  span-roofed,  but 
all  are  roomy  structures.  New  borders  have  been  made,  and  young 
Vines  planted  in  quantity,  and  there  is  every  indication  of  success. 
The  Vines  vary  in  variety  as  well  as  in  the  differing  stages  of  growth, 
from  the  swelling  fruit  to  the  latest,  which  are  only  slightly  active. 
Peaches,  also,  are  largely  grown,  and,  like  the  Vines,  will  be  subject  to 
renovation  as  opportunity  occur,  some  of  the  old-established  trees  not 
being  satisfactory  in  root,  border,  or  fruit.  Quantities  are  grown  on 
the  garden  walls,  where  they  do  well,  and  afford  a  long  succession,  to 
the  relief  of  the  glass  department.  Melons  were  very  forward. 
Tomatoes,  Cucumbers,  and  Pines  also  claim  attention.  The  fruit 
gardens  are  much  subdivided  with  walls,  so  as  to  facilitate  the  growth 
of  choice  fruits,  all  of  which  are  admirably  grown.  Figs  have  a 
commodious  structure  devoted  to  them  now,  an  old  one  being  demolished 
which  had  served  the  purpose  for  many  years. 
Plants  of  all  descriptions — stove,  greenhouse,  soft  and  hardwooded, 
and  Orchids — are  grown  in  endless  variety  and  quantity.  Giant  tower¬ 
ing  Palms  and  plants,  ranging  in  sizes  downwards  to  those  in  tiny 
thimbles,  all  find  a  use  from  some  decorative  standpoint  in  the  Castle. 
In  the  lofty  Palm  stove  the  fickle  Schubertia  grand iflora  simply  revels 
in  the  moisture-laden  atmosphere,  trained  to  the  roof  wires.  Thunbergia 
fragrans  presented  a  wealth  of  odorous  blossom,  and  is  a  striking 
trailer  for  the  stove  roof,  being  almost  continuously  in  flower. 
Gardenias  rooted  from  cuttings  annually  were  magnificent ;  such  a 
freedom  of  growth,  healthy  colour,  and  fine  blooms  make  up  an  enviable 
display.  These  are  plunged  to  the  rims  of  the  pots  in  tree  leaves  in  a 
heated  pit.  They  were  the  late  Lord  Radnor’s  favourite  coat  flower, 
and  as  such  were  given  a  prominence  which  is  still  maintained. 
A  range  of  Orchid  houseB  in  three  divisions  are  filled  with  a  good 
collection  of  useful  and  showy  kinds.  Some  fine  pieces  of  Dendrobium 
Phalsenopsis  Schroderiana  were  accommodated  in  another  span-roofed 
stove  house,  suspended  from  the  roof.  The  interior  of  the  conservatory 
had  heen  re-arranged  and  much  improved,  roof  climbers  growing  with  a 
luxuriance  that  bespeak  good  culture.  Passiflora  edulis  ocoupy  a 
portion,  and  fruit  very  freely  in  the  summer.  Camellias  in  one  green¬ 
house  have  been  associated  with  the  gardens  for  many  years,  and  are 
retained  because  of  this  more  than  for  their  own  intrinsic  value.  Every 
available  inch  of  space  is  fully  occupied  with  decorative  material,  and 
in  endless  variety.  Fuchsias  play  an  important  part  in  furnishing  the 
principal  rafters  in  summer.  Acacias  Riceana,  armata,  and  dealbata 
give  a  pretty  display  in  their  season ;  these,  like  the  Fuchsias,  growing 
beneath  the  rafters,  and  so  restricted  that  they  do  not  interfere  with 
the  other  occupants. 
As  in  most  gardens  the  demands  of  the  flower  garden  tax  the 
capacity  of  the  fruit  houses  and  pits  to  their  utmost,  extensive  though 
they  are,  in  providing  the  many  thousands  of  plants  for  the  summer 
months.  As  with  the  gardens,  so  in  the  grounds,  alterations  have  been 
^lready  carried  out  which  will  improve  the  landscape,  and  further  work  « 
is  in  prospect  at  a  suitable  time.  In  the  shady  woodland  walks  bulbous 
and  spring  flowers  are  springing  up  in  abundance,  Snowdrops  appearing 
in  wonderful  profusion.  The  natural  soil  is  so  shallow  that  the  choicer 
kinds  of  specimen  shrubs  do  not  thrive  without  special  preparation 
being  made.  Box  and  Yew  are  exceptions,  and  do  well,  and  one  of  the 
finest  trees  yet  seen  of  the  deciduous  Cypress,  Taxodium  distiohum,  is 
here.  Some  very  old  specimens  of  the  Judas  Tree,  Cercis  Siliquastrum, 
were  noted,  and  a  fine  spreading  bush  of  Chimonanthus  fragrans  was 
growing  on  the  lawn.  A  short  avenue  of  Laburnums,  which  backed  up 
herbaceous  borders,  must  give  a  pretty  effect  in  early  summer,  and  on 
the  Castle  walls  some  Aprioot  trees  were  trained,  and  looked  healthy 
and  full  of  flower ;  the  position,  however,  seemed  strikingly  unusual. 
Longford  gardens  are  full  of  interesting  studies  to  the  visitor,  and 
in  Mr.  Hazelton  they  have  an  exponent  worthy  of  their  tradition.  Their 
management,  and  the  continuous  improvements  carried  into  effect, 
reflect  the  highest  credit  on  their  chief,  and  my  regret  was  that  so 
little  time  remained  available  for  investigating  further  interesting 
points. — Visitor. 
- - 
Hidalgoa  Wercklei. 
Among  recent  greenhouse  introductions  which  seem  likely  to 
attain  wide  approval  is  this  Dahlia-like  native  of  Costa  Rica.  It 
was  introduced  by  a  New  York  firm  in  1899  under  the  name  of 
Childsia  Wercklei.  It  is  a  plant  of  considerable  interest  and  beauty 
if  given  a  position  in  a  temperate  or  warm  greenhouse,  where  it 
may  extend  over  rafters  or  wire  framework  of  any  kind.  It  is  a 
natural  climber  and  self-supporting,  the  petioles  of  the  leaves  twisting 
around  any  slender  branch  or  the  like  that  may  come  in  the  way. 
The  first  flowers  that  I  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing,  came  from  the 
Royal  Gardens,  Kew,  and  were  exhibited  at  a  flower  show  held  in  the 
Oid  Deer  Park,  Richmond,  last  year.  The  bipinnate  leaves  are  freely 
produced,  varying  in  size,  and  of  a  fresh  green  colour.  The  ray  florets 
are  intense  scarlet,  with  an  orange-scarlet  reverse,  while  the  disc 
is  bright  yellow.  [The  illustration  shows  the  character  of  the  flower, 
and  was  prepared  from  a  drawing  furnished  by  Mr.  Wm.  Logan, 
Lewisham,  from  a  flower  obtained  at  the  Ryecroft  Nursery. — Ed.]  It 
has  been  catalogued  as  a  climbing  Dahlia,  and  like  its  congeners  it  is 
readily  propaga'ed  from  young  stem  cuttings  if  placed  in  a  little 
bottom  heat,  and  when  potted  on  will  soon  make  large  plants.  The 
compost  should  be  two  parts  loam,  one  part  each  of  leaf  mould  and 
decayed  manure,  with  a  sprinkling  of  coarse  sand,  well  mixed. 
— W.  L. 
Star  Primulas. 
Primula  stellata. 
Just  now  this  strain  of  Primulas  appears  to  be  in  the  ascendant, 
which  is  only  natural,  seeing  how  floriferous  they  are,  and  what 
handsome  pyramids  of  bloom  they  form.  Being  at  Shrewsbury  a  few 
days  ago  I  called  at  Wem  to  see  Mr.  Henry  Eckford,  and  was  much 
struck  with  the  beauty  of  a  strain  of  the  above-mentioned  type  of 
Primula  seen  in  one  of  the  plant  houses.  Mr.  Eckford’s  cunning  as  a 
cross-fertiliser  has  by  no  means  deserted  him,  for  here  could  be  seen 
an  extremely  interesting  outcome  of  his  skill  in  this  direction.  With 
very  few  exceptions  all  the  varieties  have  the  smooth-edged  segments 
to  the  corollas,  but  they  are  large  and  of  excellent  shape.  There  were 
something  like  200  plants  filling  one  side  of  a  large  spau-roofed  house, 
and  most  striking  among  them  were  the  shades  of  rose,  from  blush 
rose  to  quite  a  deep  and  glowing  tint.  Some  of  the  white  varieties 
were  particularly  fine,  and  I  strongly  advised  Mr.  Eckford  to  attempt 
their  propagation  much  in  the  same  manner  as  the  market  growers 
obtain  increase  of  the  old  Double  White. 
Among  these  Star  Primulas  were  shades  of  red  approaching 
scarlet,  more  vivid  in  tints  than  I  had  previously  seen  in  any  other 
strain  ;  while  shades  of  magenta  could  be  seen  deepening  to  violet, 
and  leading  Mr.  Eckford  to  hope  he  may  eventually  find  the  deepening 
of  this  shade  lead  on  to  blue,  and  a  better  blue  than  has  yet  been 
obtained  in  the  old  type  of  Chinese  Primrose. 
There  was  a  good  proportion  of  semi-doubles  also,  which  are  fertile, 
and  a  double  white  that  very  nearly  approaches  the  old  Double  White, 
which  has  been  in  cultivation  so  many  years.  The  old  type  is  also  to 
be  seen  in  some  startling  new  shades  of  colour,  especially  in  the 
direction  of  brilliant  reds,  but  in  habit  of  growth  they  appear  quite 
dumpty  compared  with  the  plants  of  the  Star  section.  It  is  gratifying 
to  find  the  veteran  hale  and  hearty,  enjoying  his  favourite  flowers 
with  the  same  zest  he  did  fifty  years  ago. — R.  Dean. 
