54 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



purpose to attempt to disentangle the respective shares of father 

 :md son in its advancing fortunes. So far as Kew is concerned 

 the appearance of the Hookers may hest be regarded as a single 

 phenomenon. Sir William's policy had been large and en- 

 lightened, and it was not likely that the son would modify its 

 main outlines. Apart from material expansion — and many new 

 features were introduced — the ollicial duties of the Director 

 increased continually. Administration, together with correspon- 

 dence with Government departments and Colonial gardens, would 

 have overwhelmed a weaker man, but Hooker never jiermitted them 

 to interrupt or seriously abate his scientitic work. In Hooker, the 

 man and botanist never relapsed into the official. At the same 

 time he kept in the closest touch with the detailed administrative 

 work of Kew. In my childhood Hooker was a familiar figure in 

 tlie Gardens, going his daily round between eleven and one 

 o'clock, commonly in company with Smith the Curator, or with the 

 appropriate head of a department. These encounters were much 

 appreciated by us children, for " Dr. Hooker" always had a cheery 

 greeting and took an interest in our pursuits. I remember 

 one day his challenging me to swarm up one of the wire stays of 

 the great flagstaff, and, when my feet dangled over his head, his 

 peremptory request that I should descend. I don't know whether 

 Hooker was what would be called a "children's man," but we were 

 all immensely devoted to him ; perhaps because he kept our indi- 

 vidualities distinct and identified himself with our intei'ests. In 

 his own house on the occasion of children's parties, and my recol- 

 lection of the Christmas parties with " tree " and magic lantern- 

 slides is vivid, Hooker, although he didn't hang about, always came 

 in to welcome us on arrival, and to say good bye. I have also seen 

 him emerge as a roaring lion from under the drawing-room table, 

 and a very good lion, too I 



As Director, Hooker never let a chance slip of picking up a 

 good man. The following reference to Mr. Baker, afterwards 

 Keeper of the Herbarium, occurs in a letter to my father in 1865. 

 " I wonder whether Baker would ever care to come and work at 

 Kew for a few weeks at a time if we paid his expenses and offered 

 £1 a week ; it might be the means of getting him on the staff 

 eventually ?" 



He also looked after his subordinates, as is well illustrated by 

 the following extract from the same letter : — 



" I had a talk with . He corresponds with the ' Cottage 



Gardener,' but offered to discontinue it. I told him that I had 

 no objection, but that no part of his time between 8.30 and 5 

 should be devoted to it. 1 also spoke of smoking, and of the 

 necessity of resting after meals — which you siiould be told of, 

 too ! He suffers from dyspepsia (no wonder) and promises 



reform." To what extent may have changed his ways I 



cannot say, but I well remember that my father always used to 

 rest on the sofa for a quarter of an hour after luncheon, a habit 



