A DAY AT KEW GARDENS. 



A DAY AT KEW GARDENS, LONDON. 

 No. III. (concluded.) 



BY THE EDITOR. 



Leaving the Museum, our little party repaired to the Conservatory, sometimes 

 called the architectural Grecuhouse ; it is filled with a rich collection of Australian 

 trees and shrubs, chiefly Myrtaccaj, Lcguminosaj, Proteacea) ; the latter family so 

 named in consequence of the very varied character of the stems, leaves, and inflo- 

 rescence, yet agreeing in the essential character of the flowers and fruit. They are 

 handsome evergreen shrubs, or small trees, of which the Banksias and Dryandras 

 are the most remarkable. Their foliage, though harsh and rigid, has something 

 of the Fern character ; the flowers of the Banksias are arranged in bunches or 

 tufts resembling a bottle-brush. 



The next object was the Orangery, which is now mainly devoted to tender 

 Pines, many of which are of great rarity and value ; the noblest specimen in 

 Europe of the Norfolk Island Pine, Araucaria excelsa, is placed here in winter. 

 This tree is remarkable for its beautifully drooping and graceful branches, which 

 almost vie with ostrich-plumes ; small specimens are great favorites in our Ameri- 

 can conservatories, where every one who sees it regrets its want of hardiness. 

 Araucaria Bidwilli has cones as large as a child's head ; the seeds of it are eagerly 

 sought after as an article of food by the aborigines of Australia. The collection 

 here is necessarily miscellaneous ; the plants are removed to the lawns in summer, 

 and attract the eye of every one at all observant of trees. On quitting the Oran- 

 gery, you encounter, alternating with the large beds, two lines of Deodars, designed 

 for a long avenue of this stately and graceful tree ; secondary lines are formed of 

 Junipers, Cypresses, and other allied plants. "We must not, however, detain our 

 readers with trees, or we should never get through with our "Day." We must 

 proceed to the 



Great Palm House, or Stove, which is the glory of the gardens, constituting 

 the largest iron and glass house in the world previous to the erection of the Crys- 

 tal Palace. The extent of glass for covering this vast building is about 45,000 

 square feet ; the ribs are inserted in enormous blocks of Cornish granite, placed 

 in solid concrete. A substantial iron gallery runs round the w^hole at the height 

 of thirty feet from the floor, ascended by flights of spiral staircases ; this gives a 

 fine view of the plants from above, and brings the spectator on a level with the 

 summits of many of the loftiest palms. The whole of the iron of these stairs, &c., 

 is covered with tropical vines in full bloom ; and this to us was one of the great 

 beauties of the house. 



But those " Princes of the vegetable kingdom," as Sir William calls them, the 

 Palms, constitute the splendid and striking feature of the vast area ; two of 

 \ the loftiest kinds of cocoa-nut afford good examples of one group of 



