188 REPORT ON THE ROYAL GARDENS AT KE^. 
large tracts of the grounds, and the injurious effects of the roots of 
the old trees with which the grounds are in many places encumbered, 
the actual available amount of good sites for the above mentioned 
pui^pose is comparatively small, and we have further proved that to 
raise vigorous trees at all these sLould have the protection of clumps 
of shrubs when young. During the past season abont half the collec- 
tion has been examined, the beds dug over, and copious supplies of 
leaf-mould and better soil added to every bed and tree which it has 
been thought advisable to retain in its present position. Upwards of 
1500 plants from our ow^n nursery have been planted out, either for 
ornament or to replace the deficiencies in the collection ; many species 
which prove too tender, or otherwise unsuited for cultivation in our 
grounds, have been removed, and the remainder have been examined 
and named. Beds have been made round the Deodars along nearly 
the whole length of the Pagoda vista, and most of them planted with 
shrubs to encourage the Deodars, by affording protection to their 
roots. The side arches of the picturesque ruin near the Eichmond 
road have been opened, and the environs planted with a collection of 
hardy ferns, named collection of ivies, etc. A small heated pit for 
raising plants for the Winter Garden has been built in the Nursery, 
which is being rearranged and greatly improved. Extensive w^orks 
for the supply of water to the Eoyal and Crown property at Eichmond 
and Kew are in progress, in connection with the lake, which is still in 
an uniinished state. The Nursery for the supply of the parks is 
stocked with young trees, of which 1665 have been supplied to the 
Deer Park and Eichmond Park, and a large stock is about to be sent 
to the metropolitan parks. 
The principal contributors of seeds and plants to the Arboretum and 
Winter Garden have been — His Grace the Duke of Somerset: Japan 
seeds. W, Locke Travers, Esq. : Canterbury, New Zealand, and 
Chatham Island seeds. Dr. Hector : Otago seeds. Prof. Harvey and 
H, Hutton, Esq. : South African seeds. Dr. Mneller : Yictoriaj etc., 
seeds. Mr. Brockman : W. Australian seeds. Messrs. Haage and 
Schmidt, of Erfurt : coniferous seeds. I. A. Henry, Esq., of Edin- 
burgh: Andean and other plants. Dr. Campbell: Himalaya Ehodo- 
dendron seeds. Eoyal Gardens, Edinburgh: various plants. 
The usual interchanges have been kept up with nurserymen and 
others. Thirty-six Ward's cases with Cork Oaks have been sent to 
