THE BOTANIC GARDENS AT KEW, 109 



known, for which Mr. Darwin left a bequest. Mr. Daydon Jack- 

 son, Secretary to the Linnsean Society, has had the work in hand 

 over three years, and it is not nearly finished. He employs a staff 

 at the British Museum also, The catalogue of the library is not 

 printed, but is contained in a ponderous manuscript volume in the 

 keeper's room. The books include, besides all modern volumes 

 and pamphlets on botany, a great number of those antique curios- 

 ities which bibliomaniacs treasure. 



The work at Kew covers a vast field. In the first place officially 

 stand the botanic interests — to study new plants and class them. 

 Next, where plants are wanted for cultivation, which can not be 

 obtained readily in the market, or which the service of the public 

 demands, the Royal Gardens will supply them if possible. Where 

 diseases, vegetable or animal or insect pests, threaten local plan- 

 tations, Kew will look into the matter and consult with experts 

 at home. Kew is ready also to report and to obtain advice upon 

 new-industries which those upon the spot suggest. Furthermore, 

 it keeps an eye on all institutions of the same class through- 

 out the British Empire, which act in concert with their great 

 model in the mother-country, and through it with one another. 

 Foreign institutions co-operate in like manner with Kew to a cer- 

 tain extent. From time to time the authorities of Kew publish a 

 list of new plants, which at present seem to average five hundred 

 to six hundred a quarter, including those renamed for scientific 

 purposes. From time to time, also, they publish a list of the seeds 

 matured in the Royal Gardens, which are exchanged, on appli- 

 cation, with all regular correspondents. One of these seed-lists 

 includes something like four thousand species. This magazine of 

 seeds is collected, nominally, for the benefit of institutions which 

 may be able some time to return the favor in part, but in practice 

 no one who applies with a serious purpose for seeds or plants is 

 refused. How the rapidly increasing population of the globe is to 

 be provided with food and clothing is a problem which the au- 

 thorities of Kew believe falls within their department. They wel- 

 come every vegetable product which is reported to have qualities 

 that make it useful to mankind, whether as a food, a medicine, 

 a convenience, or a substance useful in manufactures. They are 

 glad to report upon specimens of such substances, or to obtain 

 the reports of trustworthy experts. 



The story of the cinchona plantations is a good instance of the 

 work of the Royal Gardens. Some forty years ago both the Eng- 

 lish and the Dutch authorities in the East Indies took alarm at 

 the growing price of quinine, due to the rapid decrease of the for- 

 ests of cinchona in Peru. The Dutch moved first, and imported 

 a great number of seeds and seedlings, which they planted in Java 

 at a heavy cost. But, probably because they had no Kew to advise 



