756 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[April i, 1884 



ROYAL GARDENS, KEW: OFFICIAL GUIDE TO 



THE IMUSEUMS OF ECONOMIC BOTANY. 



No. 1. — Dicotyledons and Gymnosperms. 



From ihis publication we quote as follows: — 

 The collections occupy three separate buildings within 

 the Royal Botanic Gardens. 



Museum No. I. overlooks the Ornamental Water, and is 

 directly opposite to the Palm-Stove. 



Museum No. II. is at the northern end of the Herbaceous 

 ground, three minutes* walk from No. I. Its direction is 

 shown by a finger-post standing by the entrance of the 

 latter. 



Museum No. III.,' devoted chiefly to specimens of Tim- 

 ber and large articles unsuited for exhibition in the glazed 

 oases of the other Museums, occupies the building formerly 

 known as the " Orangery," at the north extremity of the 

 Broad Walk leading to the Ornamental Water and Palm- 

 Stove. 



The Object of the JIuseums 

 is to show the practical applications of Botanical Science. 

 They teach us to appreciate the general relations of the 

 Vegetable World to man. We learn from them the sources 

 of the innumerable products furnished by the Vegetable 

 Kingdom for our use and convenience, whether as articles 

 of food, of construction and application in the arts, of 

 medicine, or curiosity. They suggest new channels for our 

 industry; they show us the variety in form and structure 

 presented by plants, aud are a means of direct instruction 

 in most important branches of useful knowledge. AVe see 

 from them the particular points upon which further in- 

 formation is needed, especially as to the origin of many 

 valualile timbers, fibres, and drugs, in order to perfect 

 our knowledge of economic botany; in brief, the Museums 

 show us hotv littJe, as well as how mucl', we know of the 

 extent to which herbs, shrubs, and trees contribute to our 

 necessities, comforts, aud numberless requirements. 

 Origin of the Museum. 

 The foundation and progress of these collections, not only 

 by far the most extensive in e.xistence, but the first of 

 their kind established, may be briefly traced since the con- 

 ception of their plan by the late Director of the Royal 

 Gardens, Sir W. J. Hooker. 



In 1847 the building now occupied by Museum No. II., 

 which up to that year had been in use as a fruit store- 

 bouse, &c., was added, by command of Her Majesty, to the 

 Botanic Garden projier. Permission was immediately sought 

 by the Director to have one room of this Ijuilding fitted 

 up with suitable cases for the exhibition of vegetable pro- 

 ducts — objects which neither the living plants of the Garden 

 nor the preserved specimens of the Herbarium could show. 

 Sir W. J. Hooker's request was liberally met by the Chief 

 Commissioner of Her Majesty's Woods and Forests, and 

 the Museum was forthwith commenced ; its nucleus con- 

 sisting of the Director's private collection, presented by 

 himself. 



No sooner was the establishment and aim of the Museum 

 generally made known, than contributions to it poured in 

 from all quarters of the globe, until, in a few years, the 

 ten rooms of the building, with its passages and corners, 

 were absolutely crammed with specimens. Its appreciation 

 by the public being thus demonstrated, application was 

 made to Parliament for a grant to defray the expense of 

 an additional building for the proper accomodation of the 

 objects, and the house occupied by Museum No. I., opened 

 to the public in the spring of 1&57, is the result. j 



In 1881 the extension of Museum No. I. on the west side, 

 containing a new and commodious staircase, was erected at 

 a cost of £2,000, met by a grant from the India Ofiice, in | 

 order to Bupjjly the additional accommodation required for 

 the Indian collections mentioned below. 



From the Exhibitions of 1851 and 1862, and from the 

 Paris Exhibitions of 1H55 and 1867, large additions were 

 made to the Museums, both by the presentation of speci- 

 mens, and also by their purchase, aided by grants from 

 the Treasury and Board of Trade. Many eminent firms en- 

 gaged in the importation and manufacture of vegetable 

 substances, have most liberally contributed various illus- 

 trative series. By the different Government Departments, 

 by our Colonial officers and foreign Representatives, and 

 by numerous private travellers also, the most important 

 t.'srvices have been and continue to be rendered. 



Besides these sources of contribution must be mentioned 

 the reinforcement of the Indian element in the Museum, 

 first in 1378 by the collection of forest produce, presented 

 by the Government of India (consisting of 1,113 specimens), 

 and secondly in 1880 by the transference to Kew of the 

 entire Economico-botanical collections, forming part of the 

 India Museum at South Kensington. From these about 

 4,000 specimens were selected for permanent exhibition ; 

 these are distinguished by a light blue label bearing the 

 words India Museum. 



On the staircase, at the first landing, has been placed 

 the stained glass window in four lights, removed from the 

 Guildhall, aud presented to the Royal Gardens in 1878 by 

 Alderman W. J. R. Cotton, M.P. It represents the growth 

 and manufacture of cotton. 



The Arrangement of the Objects. 



The specimens exhibited in Museums No. I. and No. II. 

 are arranged in the order of what is termed the natural 

 affinities of the plants which respectively furnish them. 

 They are grouped under Natitj al Orders. These are, in 

 some cases, very large, in others comparatively small. Some 

 abound in economic products while others afford but few. 



Between the members of each Order the rule is, that a 

 closer relationship subsists than with the members of any 

 other Order. This relationship or affinity amongst plants 

 is based upon the amount of similarity, chiefly in the form 

 and arrangement of the parts of their tlowers and seeds ; 

 and the correctness of this method is confirmed by a re- 

 markable general and corresponding uniformity in the char- 

 acter of the products and properties of the plants thus 

 brought together. For example, note the tough, fibrous 

 Barks of the "Nettle" Order, of the " Mezereou" Order, 

 and of the "Linden" and "Mallow" Orders; — the Bitter 

 or Tonic properties of the " Gentian " Order, and of the 

 "Quassia" and "Peruvian Bark" Orders; — the Resins of 

 the " Amyris " or "'Frankincense" and of the "Pine" 

 Orders; — "the Naucotic or Poisonous character of the 

 "Nightshade" Order, which includes the Deadly Night- 

 shade, Henbane, and Tobaeco. 



In dividing the extensive arranged collections between 

 the two Museum buildings, advantage has been taken of 

 the two grand Classes under which the Orders of flower- 

 ing plants are to be grouped in nature. One of these 

 greac Classes occupies ]\Iuseum No. I. The other Class, 

 together with all the products, &c., yielded by those plants 

 which are commonly regarded as not bearing flowers (as 

 Mosses, Ferns, Seaweeds. Lichens, and Fungi), are contained 

 in Museum No. II. 



The same details of arrangement obtain through both 

 Museums. The upright cases are numbered outside, above 

 the glass doors : tiie nuTnbers correspond to those on the 

 margin of this Guide. The botanical name of each Natural 

 Order is exhibited hisulc, at the top of the cases ; also, 

 wherever au Order her/ins, if on a lower shelf. A brief 

 note on each Order is given in this Guide, preceding the 

 enumeration of the noteworthy objects belonging to it. 



To simplify and faeiUtafce reference, every object of great 

 importance enumerated bears, upon a card, mounted close 

 hf/ it, a conspicuous corresponding number [e.f/.., 26]. One 

 numbering runs through the whole of each Museum. 



The proportion of numherei objects is very small to the 

 whole; this is a necessity which a handy guide-book, in- 

 tended for visitors rather than students, imposes. As nearly 

 every object is properly labelled, the deficiency is rather 

 apparent than real. This Guide is not intended to sup- 

 plant a system of copious instructional labelling, which is 

 being constantly improved upon, and printed labels sub- 

 stituted for those written by hand. Any suggestion bear- 

 ing upon these, or hints respecting our deficiencies, those 

 who have the charge of this important l»ranch of the Kew 

 establishment will be most happy to receive. Such should 

 be addressed in writing, to the Curator of the Museums, 

 or to the Director of tlie Royal Gardens. 



Maps are placed in the cases, showing in red colour the 

 countries fin-nishiug the products near which they are 

 placed. 



Then follow the catalogues. 



AVe quote a few descriptions: — 



No. 8. Aconite, Monkshood, or Woi-fsiunk (Aconitum 

 Napelhis^ L.). A perennial herb, with short fleshy root- 

 stock, common throughout I'au-ope. tempei-ali' and sub- 

 Arctic Asia, and North America. The rootstocks are col- 



