April  30,  1903. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
381 
so  give  extra  room  to  tlie  remainder.  In  tliis  house  are  also 
Lilacs  and  early  culinary  Peas. 
In  the  stove  there  is  one  of  the  finest  collections  of 
Crotons  to  be  found  vithin  a  good  march,  fully  200  grand  plants 
of  fine  growth  and  colour.  Plants  are  not  grown  here  for  exhibi¬ 
tion,  but  many  of  these  Crotons  would  be  the  em-y  of  exhibitors. 
Amongst  the  varieties  are  Memphis  (very  fine),  Nestor,  Aig- 
burthiensis.  Her  Majesty,  Reedi,  angustifolia,  some  fine  pieces  of 
Victoria  Superba,  Duchess  of  Albany,  Baroness  Rothschild, 
Princess  of  Wales,  Flamingo,  Sunbeam,  Mrs.  Dorman,  Golden 
Ring,  Warreni  (vei’y  fine  in  colour  and  growth).  Challenger  (a 
lovely  piece),  and  Delightful.  Much  could  be  written  of  this 
collection,  and  Mr.  Massey  may  certainly  be  congratulated  upon 
the  condition  of  them.  Singularly  clean  and  well-grown  plants, 
they  deserve  all  the  praise  we  can  give  them.  On  one  side  is  a 
fine  batch  of  Caladiums  of  exquisite  colouring — rPrineess  Royal, 
Comtesse  de  Condexia,  Erubescens,  and  Mrs.  H.  Veitch,  being 
amongst  the  most  noticeable.  A  very  fine  Banana  also  attracts 
attention,  while  another  grand  thing  is  Heliconia  illustris 
rubescens.  A  Stephanotis  on  one  side  is  simply  loaded  with 
blooms,  growth,  a  yard  long  being  literally  covered  with  sprays 
of  its  wax-like  white  flowers.  Another  very  handsome  subject 
is  Anthurium  crystallinum  with  wonderfully  well  marked  leaves 
over  2ft  long.  Here,  too,  is  Eucharis  amazonica  in  bloom,  and 
Nepenthes  are  looking  ■well,  and  a  grand  batch  of  about  one 
hundred  Calanthe  Veitchi  just  being  started  away  finely. 
Mr.  Massey  has  had  many  “  bulbs  ”  of  these  12in  to  14in  long. 
In  the  next  hoivse  there  are  an  extraordinary  fine  lot  of 
A  Standard  Pompon  Chrysanthemum. 
Gardenias,  the  plants  being  fully  2ft  through,  wonderfully  clean 
and  healthy,  and  faiidy  smothered  with  blooms.  Some  good 
Acalphya  Moorei,  and  a  rare  batch  of  B.  Gloii’o  de  Lorraine,  of 
which  a  large  quantity  is  well  grown.  Later  on,  this  house  will 
be,  as  usual,  given  over  entirely  to  these  Begonias.  Near  by  is 
another  house,  one  side  of  which  is  full  of  Osborne’s  Early  Forcing 
Dwarf  Beans,  from  which  the  kitchen  is  being  supplied  daily  ;  and 
here  are  Melons  coming  on,  the  varieties  grown  being  Blenheim 
Orange  (a  favourite  hei’e).  Royal  Sovereign,  Hero  of  Lockinge, 
and  Comtesse.  The.  next  is  a  cool  house,  in  which  are  some 
very  fine  Pelargoniums,  a  grand  lot  of  young  Cyclamens,  and  a 
very  healthy  lot  of  Bouvardia.s,  which  are  extensivelj^  grown  at 
Oakbrook.,  In  frames  along  the  side  of  this  house  are  the  Chi*ys- 
anthemums,  of  which  about  600  are  cultivated. 
The  Peach  houses  are  f-span,  and  the  principal  varieties  are 
Royal  George  and  Nobles, se,  and  Elruge  Nectarine; in  one  of 
these  houses,  too,  are  the  Hydrangeas. 
The  Conservatory 
is  a  noble  house,  55ft  by  25ft,  recently  built  by  Hallidays  of 
Middleton,  Manchester.  In  the  centre  are  some  fine  Kentias 
and  other  Palms,  while  all  around,  the  stages  are  a  mass  of  lovely 
flowers,  and  one  of  the  finest  lot  of  Cyclamens  to  be  met  with 
anywhere  are  here.  There  are  some  200  or  300  pots  in  charm¬ 
ing  variety  of  colour,  and  these  are  carrying  thousands  of  blooms 
of  large  size.  They  are  a  really  grand  strain,  and  show  abundant 
evidence  of  careful  culture.  Cinerarias  (Fisher’s  strain)  are 
also  fine  and  make  an  excellent  show,  the  flowers  being  varied  in 
colour  and  of  large  size  and  good  habit.  Schizanthus  also  makes 
a  good  display,  and  Hippeastrums  (Amaryllis)  are  particularly 
good.  Several  grand  varieties  mostly  carry  two  spikes  of  very 
fine  floAvers.  Azaleas,  Tulips,  Arums,  Spiraeas,  Hyacinths, 
Mignonette,  Narcissus,  Ac.,  make  this  house  a  A’eritable  faii*y- 
land,  and  in  it  one  could  pass  some  pleasant  hours.  On  the  roof 
are  Cobcea  scanden.s,  Tacsonias,  and  Clematis,  which  have  done 
wonderfully  Avell  in  the  short  time  the  house  has  been  built. 
Suspended  above  are  also  some  fine  baskets  of  Asparagus  Spren- 
geri.  Asparagus  deflexus.  Fuchsias,  and  a  Dendrobium  Avith  fully 
300  flowers.  Beyond  this  house  is  a  large  border  filled  AAuth 
Spanish  and  English  Irises,  and  near  by  is  a  plot  used  for  Dahlias, 
Ac.  There  is  an  orchard  of  about  an  acre,  containing  mostly 
prime  Apple  trees  in  good  condition. 
Mr.  Massey  has  been  in  charge  of  the  gardens  here  about  four 
years,  and  during  that  time  some  important  and  extensive 
alterations  have  been  made  under  his  supeiwisiou.  The  gi’ounds 
are  some  tAA’enty-six  to  thirty  acres  in  extent,  and  bear  testi¬ 
mony  to  his  care  and  skill,  the  whole  being  in  excellent  order; 
and  these  and  the  plant  houses  are  Avell  Avorth  a  visit.  Previous 
to  coming  here  Mr.  Massey  Avas  at  Oakley  House,  Leeds,  eighteen 
years,  Avhere  he  Avas  Avell-knoAA’n  and  much  respected.  We  trust 
his  sojourn  at  Oakbrook  may  be  a  prolonged  and  pleasant  one. 
His  employer  (W.  S.  Laycock,  Esq.)  though  taking  little  part  in 
public  matters,  is  well-knoAvn  and  highly  respected  in  the  city. 
He  throAvs  his  beautiful  grounds  open  on  the  occasions  of  the 
Ranmoor  Horticultural  ShoAV,  Avhich  is  held  on  a  portion  thereof, 
and  this  generous  act  is  much  appreciated,  and  adds  greatly  to 
the  popularity  of  the  shoAv. — W.  L. 
[Next  week,  notes  will  appear  on  Abbeyfield,  and  “A 
Daffodil  treat.”] 
<«#»> - 
Meteorological  Records. 
Rainfall  at  Newton  Mearns,  near  Glasgoav,  avith  compari. 
SONS  IN  PAST  years  FOR  JANUARY,  FEBRUARY,  AND  MARCH,  1903. 
Recorded  at  Pollok  Castle,  situated  300  feet  above  sea  lea^el, 
January,  9  32  ;  February,  11-33  ;  March,  ll-fiSi-. 
In  .January  tAviee  as  much  rain  fell  as  belongs  to  an  average 
-January,  and  its  amount  is  together  Avith  that  in  January,  1877,  the 
highest  recorded  in  that  month  since  1868.  The  I'ainfall  Avas  more 
intense  than  in  any  past  year.  There  Avas  less  bright  sunshine  in 
.January,  1903,  than  in  any  January  since  1882.  The  folloAving 
figures  give  the  direction  of  the  Avind  for  the  month. 
In  S.W . 12  days  In  Ea.st  ..  ..  11  days 
„  N.E . 1  „  ,,  N.AV . 1  „ 
„  West  ..  ..  2  „  „  South  ..  ..  4  ,, 
February. — The  February  just  passed  has  been  the  Avarmest  for 
a  considerable  number  of  years.  Like  January,  there  Avas  less  bright 
.sunshine  than  in  an  average  February.  With  the  exception  of  tAvo 
days  the  wind  bleAV  from  south-Avest  and  Avest  repeatedly  as  gales, 
the  average  velocity  of  Avind  reaching  18  miles  an  hour,  and  is  second 
highest  for  February.  The  rainfall  of  11-53  ins.  takes  highest  place 
in  records  for  February,  as  against  8-8  ins.  in  1894.  Avhile  in  1895 
8-03  ins.  Avere  registered. 
The  direction  of  Avind  for  month  Avas 18  days  in  south-Avest, 
8  days  in  Avest,  2  days  in  east. 
March.— This  month  Avas  like  its  tAvo  predecessors,  its  chief 
features  being  strong  Avinds,  little  sunshine,  and  an  abnormal  rainfall. 
1  Rainfall  of  11-55^  ins.  is  the  highest  ever  recorded  in  any  March, 
