21 



plants, lately received from our Collector, Mr. Purdie, from 

 Jamaica and Santa Martha; some fine young Tree Ferns, 

 also from Jamaica, the kind gift of Mr. Wilson ; and many 

 other rare and interesting plants, but which are soon to be 

 removed to other stoves. 



The houses now described, are all that are contained in 

 what was considered the Botanic Garden proper, at the period 

 of my being placed in charge of the establishment : but in 

 the adjoining palace grounds, two of the finest houses had 

 long been occupied with plants under the care of the Director, 

 and they are now included within the boundary. I allude to 

 the " Orangery''' and the " Conservatory ;" unquestionably, 

 two of the finest plant-houses at present existing at Kew. 

 The first of these, we shall call 



No. 11. The " Orangery." To arrive at this from the old 

 stove, n. 10, above described, we proceed from the western 

 end, past a stone tank, the Aquarium, for hardy water plants; 

 and taking the right hand turn, the handsome structure in 

 question comes into view. This is already briefly alluded to, 

 supra p. 5. It was erected by Sir William Chambers, in 

 1761, and is one hundred and forty-two feet long, thirty 

 feet wide, and twenty-five feet high. In the back shed, 

 are two furnaces to heat flues, laid under the pavement. 

 It was, until 1841 filled chiefly with Orange Trees, which 

 were then (with the exception of a few reserved as speci- 

 mens) removed to Kensington Palace, and their places sup- 

 plied by trees and shrubs, which were becoming too large 

 for the other greenhouses. Amongst them, may be seen an 

 invaluable collection of the more tender Coniferce; the 

 superb Araucarias — excelsa, Cuninghami, Brasiliensis; Pinus 

 longifolia, &c, &c, &c. ; noble specimens of Camellias, 

 Rhododendron arboreum, and a great number of New Holland 

 trees and shrubs. Well as this house may have served for 

 an Orangery, there is not light enough for greenhouse plants 

 generally, notwithstanding that two large windows have been 

 lately constructed (one at each end), at the suggestion of Mr. 

 Aiton, and three windows or ventilators at the back. To 

 render this house efficient, it should be doubled, and covered 

 by a double span glass roof. 



Proceeding from the East end of this structure, and in- 

 clining to the North, we came to 



No. 12. The " Conservatory," as it is usually designated ; 

 spoken of in Dr. Lindley's Report, as the "Architectural 

 Greenhouse, in the*pleasure ground, adjoining the Arboretum, 



