May  23,  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
441 
Impressions  of  Wilton. 
Wilton  House  and  its  gardens  are  famous  both  in  ancestral  and 
modern  history,  the  former  as  being  the  home  of  the  past  and  present 
Earls  of  Pembroke,  noblemen  who  have  attained  to  the  greatest  distinc¬ 
tion  by  tbeir  lofty  associations  with  the  great  pageantry  of  ancient  and 
modern  decades — Royal,  Parliamentary,  and  otherwise ;  the  gardens 
are  well  known  beoause  of  their  long  connection  with  Mr.  T.  Challis, 
a  gardener  possessed  of  great  scientific  and  practical  knowledge,  and 
who  is  conversant  with  every  aspect  of  garden  craft.  For  a  period  of 
something  like  forty  years  Mr.  Challis  has  had  charge  of  this  princely 
domain,  and  I  am  eure  the  hope  and  assurance  of  his  many  friends  is 
bound  up  in  the  happy  prospect  of  the  attainment  of  his  J  nbilee  at 
Wilton.  A  record  of  forty  years’  service  is  something  certainly  a  man 
may  be  justly  proud  of,  and  those  who  know  Mr.  Challis  intimately 
will  bear  me  out  in  saying  that  in  his  personality  there  is  great 
embodiment  of  vigour,  clear  perception,  activity  of  mind  and  body,  and 
unflagging  energy. 
These  are  attributes  pertaining  to  the  younger  man,  but  personally 
I  do  not  know  of  any  in  which  they  are  more  highly  developed  than 
in  this  highly  respected  veteran  of  the  gardening  world.  When  it  is 
remembered  that  over  70  acres  of  grounds,  beside  extensive  fruit, 
vegetable,  and  glass  departments  demand  his  perscnal  directorship,  it  is 
seen  at  once  that  an  aotivity  of  mind  and  body  is  a  necessitous  quality, 
and  all  are  so  excellently  supervised  that  it  is  almost  invidious  to 
particularise.  Were  I  asked  to  summarise  Mr.  Challis’s  pet  theme  I 
should  certainly 
think  it  must  be 
fruit  culture,  for 
here  it  receives 
a  most  generous 
recognition,  par¬ 
ticularly  hardy 
fruits.  All  and 
every  kind 
amenable  to  an 
English  garden 
is  extensively 
planted,  and  the 
very  best  of  every 
fruit  has  a  place. 
Cordon  training 
has  an  extensive 
use  among  Pears, 
Peaches,  and 
Nectarines ;  these 
would  appear  to 
be  planted  lite¬ 
rally  by  the 
hundred,  their 
growth  every¬ 
where  being  ex¬ 
cellent,  and  the 
fruit  prospect,  judged  by  the  wealth  of  flower  bud,  is 
March  is  not  a  month  one  could  choose  as  the  best  to 
such  vast  gardens,  but  the  opportunity  for  suoh  a  visit  is  not 
permitted  at  an  opportune  date. 
Glass  coping  is  extensively  adopted.  Peaches,  Nectarines,  Pears, 
and  Plums  all  are  so  sheltered,  and  what  I  have  not  previously  seen  in 
this  connection  is  that  the  coping  is  a  fixture,  and  remains  so  always. 
Guttering  and  relief  pipes  are  fixed  so  that  the  water  is  carried  down  at 
intervals  into  the  soil — a  drain  would  scarcely  be  necessary,  because  of 
the  gravel  under  stratum  and  the  shallow  depth  of  soil.  The  guttering 
prevents  all  drip,  and  the  work  of  pruning  and  nailing  can  be  carried 
on  if  need  be  without  inconvenience  in  wet  weather.  All  the  ooped 
walls  are  fitted  with  the  ‘‘  Challis  trellis,”  an  arrangement  of  light 
sawn  timbers  peculiarly  adapted  to  the  growth  of  cordon  trees  trained 
thereto,  and  is  also  a  supporting  medium  for  nets  attached  for  protection 
against  spring  frost  or  mischievously  inclined  birds  in  autumn.  This 
arrangement  provides  for  a  decidedly  useful  augment  to  the  fruit  store, 
and  of  Pears  in  particular,  without  any  detriment  to  the  wall  trees.  The 
protection  of  glass  and  nets  greatly  assist  the  late  autumn  fruit  in 
ripening  and  long  keeping,  a  fact  emphasised  in  the  notes  on  “  Late 
Dessert  Fruits,”  given  by  Mr.  Challis  during  the  past  winter.  The 
amount  of  fruit  gathered  annually  must  be  enormous,  and  though  of 
somewhat  low  elevation,  and  a  frost-inviting  river  at  the  lower 
extremity  of  the  garden,  there  has  never  been  a  season  without  fruit. 
One  great  feature  of  Wilton  Gardens  is  the  excellent  water  supply — 
this  the  outcome  of  Mr.  Challis’s  dogged  perseverance  and  adaptability 
of  material.  The  river  gives  the  means  of  supply  and  the  motive 
power.  The  water  wheel  and  triple  pumps  in  use  now,  have  for  thirty 
years  or  more  furnished  the  daily  needs  of  the  garden.  The  most 
extraordinary  association  of  this  water  scheme  is  that  both  wheel  and 
pumps  were  thrown  aside  as  useless  from  another  estate  department, 
but  under  skilful  manipulation  have  done  duty  for  over  thirty  years,  and 
to  all  appearance  will  continue  for  many  years  yet  to  come.  Fruit¬ 
growing  on  suoh  shallow  soil  would  be  simply  wasted  effort  without 
Part  of  Messrs.  Buntard’s  Collection  of  Apples. 
most  assuring, 
pass  in  review 
always 
water,  hut  by  its  aid  the  best  possible  results  are  obtained.  There  are 
reservoirs  and  storing  tanks  that  are  kept  filled,  and  can  be  drawn  upon 
as  required,  and  by  an  ingenious  invention  manure  water  from  store 
tanks  can  be  transmitted  through  the  mains  to  given  points  for 
irrigation  or  other  uses,  governable  by  stop  valves.  The  water  system 
is  most  oomplete,  and  is  so  muoh  more  commendable  since  it  is 
the  outcome  of  local  invention,  and  oarried  out  under  the  personal 
supervision  of  Mr.  Challis  himself. 
The  extent  of  lawn,  as  before  mentioned,  is  extensive ;  some 
75  acres  are  devoted  to  pleasure  purposes,  and  which  naturally  inolnde 
shady  walks,  a  wealth  of  shrubbery  borders,  as  well  as  the  open 
green  sward.  Some  very  fine  trees,  deciduous  and  evergreen,  are 
here,  one  Cedar  in  particular  having  an  enormous  girth,  and  an 
Evergreen  Oak  with  a  vast  spread  of  supported  branches  clearly 
illustrate  an  age  of  centuries.  Then  there  are  many  trees  that  have 
been  planted  by  distinguished  visitors,  and  not  a  few  fine  Conifers, 
raised  from  seeds  on  the  place,  in  varying  ages  and  sizes.  One  of  these, 
planted  by  the  Countess  of  Pembroke,  commemorates  the  dose  of  the 
nineteenth  century,  and  will,  should  no  accident  befall  it,  become  an 
interesting  relic  in  future  history.  Flower  gardening,  as  generally 
understood,  is  not  so  extensively  carried  out  as  in  some  gardens  of  lesser 
extent  ;  but  with  suoh  a  wealth  of  Roses  and  other  flowering  shrubs 
and  trees,  and  herbaceous  plants,  there  is  ample  colour  without  extensive 
formal  and  undesirable  flower  gardens.  There  are,  of  course,  flower 
gardens,  the  designs  of  which  are  in  keeping  with  the  historic  associa¬ 
tions  of  the  domain.  Water  scenes  enter  prominently  in  the  landscape, 
two  rivers  and  their  tributaries  passing  through  the  grounds,  adding 
charms  that  are  beyond  value.  A  wide  range  of  park  land  comes  into 
view  from  the 
main  lawn,  rising 
away  in  the  dis¬ 
tance  to  higher 
altitudes,  which 
relieves  the  flat¬ 
ness  of  the  lawns 
themselves,  and 
which  seem  to 
become  absorbed 
in  the  undulating 
nature  of  the 
ground  beyond. 
Everywhere  the 
laud  is  heavily 
timbered,  and 
the  house  itself 
seems  to  nestle 
in  this  delightful 
tree-land  with 
beautiful  seclu¬ 
sion  and  repose. 
The  glass  depart, 
ment,  like  the 
grounds,  afford 
a  striking  illus¬ 
tration  of  the 
past  and  present  state  of  horticultural  requirements.  There  is  a  most 
interesting  range  of  glass  which  has  existed  for  over  a  hundred  years, 
and  still  finds  a  use,  though  not  in  every  case  of  the  same  kind  as  the 
ancestors  of  Wilton  intended.  In  one  section  there  exists,  however, 
one  of  the  original  Peach  trees,  a  standard-trained  specimen,  and  at  the 
time  of  my  visit  it  was  in  healthy  bloom.  It  bears  its  annual  crop  with 
great  regularity,  but  its  name  seemed  obscured  in  the  past.  It  certainly 
is  a  relic  most  unique  and  valuable.  The  timbers  of  this  building  are 
indeed  massive,  and  contrast  most  conspicuously  with  adjacent  structures 
of  more  modern  design.  A  magnificent  range  some  200  feet  in  length, 
of  proportionate  width  and  lofty  stature,  was  the  outcome  of 
Mr.  Challis’s  invention  of  glazing  without  putty.  When  designs  and 
drawings  of  the  principle  were  submitted  to  an  eminent  firm  of 
horticultural  builders,  they  declined  to  undertake  the  work ;  but, 
undaunted,  and  supported  by  his  noble  employers,  Mr.  Challis  supervised 
the  ereotion  of  this  range  by  the  estate  workmen,  and  it  now  stands  as 
a  monument,  be  it  said,  to  his  honour  and  his  oredit.  Since  that  time 
the  system  has  been  extensively  adopted  and  approved  elsewhere. 
In  some  divisions  of  this  noble  range  is  where  the  cross-trellis 
system  for  training  Peach  trees  was  first  adopted  by  Mr.  Challis,  and 
since  imitated  by  so  many  gardeners.  The  houses  at  Wdton,  however, 
are  better  fitted  for  the  system  than  any  I  have  inspected  elsewhere, 
because  of  their  height,  width,  and  the  open  curvilinear  nature  of  the 
roof.  Magnificent  Peaches  and  Grapes  are  grown  in  this  range,  and  so 
are  Strawberries.  From  the  lofty  shelves  came  the  memorable  berries 
that  were  sent  to  the  Emperor  Frederick  before  his  lamented  death. 
At  the  time  of  construction  of  this  range  plans  were  prepared,  and 
provision  in  part  made  for  the  ereotion  of  other  ranges  contiguous 
thereto;  but,  though  this  has  remained  in  abeyance  for  so  many  years, 
there  is  yet  the  hope  that  time,  and  at  no  distant  date,  will  effect  the 
object  desired.  There  are  other  ranges  of  fruit,  plant,  and  Orohid 
houses,  the  latter  having  a  wide  reputation.  One  condition  that  struck 
the  oasual  visitor  was  the  apparent  dryness  maintained  ;  a  remark 
passed  by  one  of  a  party  being  that  the  Wilton  pots  never  required  a 
