AS ADMINISTRATOR 



309 



first half century of its history as a pubHc institution. Kew 

 had existed for long as a Royal Appanage before it was 

 handed over to the Nation, The Botanic Garden had, indeed, 

 ranked for upwards of half a century as the richest in the world. 

 But after the death of King George III. it had retrograded 

 scientifically. On the accession of Queen Victoria a revision 

 of the Royal Household had become necessary. It was then 

 decided to transfer the garden to the Commissioners of Woods 

 and Forests. This took place in 1840, and in 1841 Sir William 

 Hooker, who was then Professor in Glasgow, was appointed the 

 first Director. The move to Kew, whither he took his private 

 Library, Herbarium, and Museum, was carried out in the absence 

 of his son, who was still in the Antarctic. It was not till the 

 Himalayan journey was over in 185 1 that Sir Joseph settled at 

 Kew, his great collections having already been consigned there 

 by agreement with the Government. In 1855 he was appointed 

 assistant to his father in the Directorship. Finally, he became 

 himself Director on his father's death in 1865, and he held the 

 position for twenty years. 



So long associated together, it is difficult to disentangle the 

 parts that father and son actually played in the creation of Kew 

 as it now is. Nor is there need to attempt it. The original 

 area of the Garden at Kew was less than 20 acres. But in 1855, 

 when Sir Joseph joined his father in the directorate, it had 

 grown by successive additions to 70 acres. Finally, the large 

 area of 650 acres came under the Director's control. Numerous 

 large glass houses were built. Three Museums were established, 

 and the vast Herbarium and Library founded and developed. 

 The Garden Staff rose to more than 100 men. The day-by-day 

 administration of such an establishment would necessarily make 

 great demands upon the time, energy, tact, and skill of its 

 official head. But in addition there was the growing corre- 

 spondence to be attended to, on the one hand with botanists all 

 over the world, on the other with the Government Departments, 

 and especially with the Indian and Colonial Offices. As the 

 activity of the Garden extended, there grew up a large staff of 

 scientific experts and artists, whose duties centred round the 

 Herbarium and Library. These all looked to the Director for 



