CHAPTEE XXXIX 



END OF THE PRESIDENTIAL TERM (1877-1878) 



MEANTIME the building of the new Herbarium was a fresh 

 landmark in the history of Kew. But it was not accomplished 

 without considerable friction, in great part the aftermath of the 

 old trouble with the Office of Works, for Lord Henry Lennox 

 continued the Ayrtonian tradition of supercilious official- 

 dom towards science and glorified gardeners, and Ayrton's 

 right-hand man was not retired till August 1875. The one 

 helpful person in the office was Mr. Bertram Mitford (the late 

 Lord Eedesdale), and his chief was at loggerheads with him ! 

 When the last personal obstruction was removed, Hooker 

 could exclaim, " Thank goodness I have all the Office and the 

 Treasury at my back and beck," and continues : 



To Charles Darwin 



August 16, 1875. 



I only hope that now my Lord will find himself unsup- 

 ported, he will retire from active interference in the Office. 

 Meanwhile he is moving heaven and earth with the people 

 about the Queen to prevent the Herbarium being kept 

 in the Queen's private grounds, for a small piece of which 

 I have asked (as a site for the new building). He insists 

 on my finding a site for it in the public part of the Gardens ! 

 which I absolutely refuse to do, except the Queen refuses 

 a corner of the ground where the Herbarium now is. 



To Asa Gray 



March 12, 1876. 



After a great deal of worry, lasting over nine months, the 

 Herbarium building is in a fair way of commencing. The 



