March 14, 1903. 
THE GARDENING WORLD . 
229 
Superintendents of Parks and Gardens, 
Mr. Robert Lamb, 
General Superintendent of Municipal Parks and 
Recreation Grounds, Manchester. 
Mr. Robert Lamb, the general superintendent of parks and 
recreation grounds for the city of Manchester, is a native of 
Aberdeenshire, having been born in the neighbourhood of 
Peterhead. At the age of seventeen Mr. Lamb commenced his 
gardening career in the gardens of Relugas, Edinkilli, Moray¬ 
shire, the seat of the late R. Smith, Esq., of the firm of Smith, 
Payne, Smith & Co., Lombard Street, bankers, under Mr. Geo. 
Cowie, the then head gardener. Relugas, from a gardening 
point of view, is of somewhat modest dimensions, but for 
situation it has few if any equals, standing as it does at the 
junction of the picturesque River Findhorn with its tributary 
the Divie, and surrounded by hills and rocks clad with a 
variety of foliage rarely to be met with even in the Highlands 
of Scotland, it presents a picture impressive in the extreme. 
Mr. Lamb entered upon his work amid scenes and asso¬ 
ciations which impressed their mark upon the young gardener 
to an extent to which he was at the time unconscious, but 
which were often helpful to him in later years, and, un¬ 
doubtedly, helped to mould his character. After four years 
Mr. Lamb entered the gardens of the Right Hon. the Earl of 
Seafield, at Cullen House, Banffshire, as journeyman, where he 
remained for three years, during the latter portion of this time 
as foreman. It was here that the foundation of his career 
was laid. 
Thirty-seven yen's ago—under the suiveillance of the 
veteran gardener, Mr. John Petrie 1 —there were no better kept 
or more extensive gardens in the North of Scotland than those 
of Cullen House. They were a splendid school for training young- 
men in their profession, and Mr. Lamb appears to have taken 
full advantage of his opportunities. Here was enforced the 
strict observance of the routine duties indispensable to the 
conduct of every well-ordered establishment. Here, too, was 
every facility for the observant young gardener to cultivate 
his mind by the contemplation of the charms of the well- 
kept pleasure grounds, where the art of the landscape gardener 
was combined with the natural beauty of woodland scenery, 
watered by a silvery stream, which meandered on its course 
,to the sea, a few hundred yards distant. 
At this time the subject of our sketch decided to direct 
his course southwards. On arriving in Edinburgh he was sent 
by Messrs. Methuen, nurserymen, to the gardens of Drumpeller, 
belonging to Col. Buchanan, in the neighbourhood of Glasgow, 
and here, almost under the shadow of numbers of blast fur¬ 
naces, belching forth volumes of smoke and deadly fumes day 
by day, he remained some tune. This was a great change 
From the pure atmosphere, blue sky, healthy vegetation, 
imd scenery of the North. Notwithstanding all its dis- 
idvantages, Drumpeller Gardens ranked as a leading place 
in the ~ West of Scotland. It was Mr. Lamb’s good 
nrtune here to 1 have for his colleague, as indoor foreman, 
Mr. David Inglis (now gardener to the Duke of Buccleuch at 
prumlanrig Castle), in whose hands the plant and fruit-houses, 
t^tc., at Drumpeller were perfect models of cleanliness, order, 
ind high-class cultivation, all of which were useful lessons 
o be mentally noted by the young horticulturist. 
In order to gain as much experience as possible, Mr. Lamb 
row decided to change his situations frequently, and take 
opportunities of acquainting himself with various methods and 
oractices in the gardening world. Consequently, we next find 
urn in charge of one of the glass ranges of fruit-houses in the 
garden of the Earl of Hopetoun, near Edinburgh. These 
gardens and grounds are of a very extensive character, and -well 
idapted for the all-round training of young men in the duties 
*f their profession, and are themselves an object lesson at 
he present day of the forethought and art of a former genera r 
ion. 
On leaving Hopetoun, Mr. Lamb spent some time in the 
Edinburgh nurseries, after which he made his wav to London 
md entered the Royal Vineyard Nurseries at Hammersmith, 
belonging to the late John and Charles Lee, who very soon 
sent him as plant foreman to Possingworth, Sussex, the seat 
of Louis Huth, Esq., -where he remained two years under the 
able gardener, Mr. Reid. Possingworth was a new place at 
that time, being still in the hands of the landscape gardener, 
Mr. Marnock, who was so pre-eminent in his day in this branch 
of the profession, and whose work on this estate occupied a 
period of seven years. During the last two years of this time 
Mr. Robert Lamb. 
Mr. Lamb had the good fortune to be employed. He looks 
back now with satisfaction to the experience gained under such 
a master hand, experience and information which have since 
been of incalculable service to him. 
Mr. Lamb then re-entered the Royal Vineyard Nurseries and 
remained until he received an appointment at Buckingham 
Palace, being entrusted with the care of the conservatory 
attached to the Palace, and having charge of the bedding out, 
under the aged gardener, Mr. Wynes. Much, however, as Mr. 
Lamb appreciated the honour of service under her late Majesty, 
the West-end of London did not suit one brought up in the 
clear mountain air of the Highlands. We therefore find him 
next enjoying the atmosphere of the Cotswold Hills, where 
lie was appointed general foreman at Cowley Manor, near 
Cheltenham, the seat of the late James Hutchinson, Esq., at 
whose death Mr. Lamb was put in charge of the gardens, and 
retained the position on the estate passing into the hands of 
the late Robert Richardson Gardner, M.P., with whom he re¬ 
mained for some years. Here he was instrumental in laying 
out a new kitchen garden, erecting a number of plant and 
fruit houses, and making many alterations in the gardens and 
grounds. 
Returning again to London, Mr. Lamb spent about three 
years in the nurseries, notably those of Messrs. Laing & Co., 
Forest Hill, where he gained experience of a very valuable 
character, and a knowledge of the trees and shrubs most 
suitable and likely to thrive in the atmosphere of large towns, 
which he has been able to. put to good use in his present 
position. The next move is northwards to Torkington Lodge, 
Cheshire, where for some three years Mr. Lamb remained as 
gardener. ,, 
Leaving here sixteen years ago to enter the service of the 
Manchester Corporation, he was appointed superintendent of 
Phillips Park. At this time Manchester had only three or 
four parks and two open spaces, comprising in all about 130 
acres The Parks Committee of that day, finding this was 
sadly inadequate to meet the needs of a large and growing 
population, resolved to adopt a more generous and progressive 
