OKGANISATION AT KEW 81 



The actual supervision of the Gardens was the least part of 

 he official work at Kew, though fuller organisation proceeded 

 -pace and he could tell Darwin (November 19, 1867) : 



In the Garden I am very busy laying out grounds and 

 planting all over, and doing a vast deal for better or for 

 worse. Also I have induced the Board to put the whole 

 heating apparatus (which has been messed and jobbed till 

 Curator and Foremen are driven wild) into my hands instead 

 of the Surveyor of Works, and I have elaborated a plan for 

 rearranging the whole in 25 houses and 3 Museums, and have 

 put out all for estimates from 3 tradesmen. I shall effect 

 an enormous saving, and have all properly heated too. Also 

 I am planning one new range of houses to supersede 7 old 

 ones, and which will not only save 6 fires, but save Smith 

 and myself a deal of labor. 



And though illness deprived him of his Curator for some 

 time : 



The whole garden system is in such good order that I can 

 conduct the out of door duties in his absence with pleasure. 

 I can trust all my 7 foremen and Oliver reigns. 



The correspondence was vast, and constantly increasing, 

 alike with foreign and colonial establishments, and with con- 

 tributors of specimens and inquirers seeking identifications 

 of plants or seeds. The more successful the Gardens, the greater 

 the army of special visitors who broke in on working hours. 

 Kew, as he exclaimed in 1884, had become the house of call 

 for all nations. Again and again, as in 1869, 1875 and 1878, 

 the threatened loss of working time made him deprecate 

 fresh proposals by would-be popularisers of Kew, who knew 

 nothing of its inner workings, to open the Gardens at 10 a.m. 



As he told Asa Gray, when he had to report on the matter 

 officially (July 25, 1869) : 



I feel it is inevitable and right ; but it will require a com- 

 plete reorganisation and great increase of outlay, and dish 

 me. They cannot make it up to me in any way. I do not 

 want more pay — no wish for more — I am one of those who 

 live from hand to mouth, with always a small balance on 



