IX 



The reconstructed No. III. is a span-roofed house 60 

 feet long, 23 feet wide, and 13 feet high. It contains a 

 broad central and two side stages, with paths on both 

 sides. 



The north wing of the former No. III. had been 

 latterly devoted almost exclusively to filmy ferns after 

 the Kew collection had been enriched by the gift of that 

 formed by the late John Cooper Forster, which was 

 presented to the Royal Gardens in 1888 by his widow. 



The collection is now contained in the new Filmy Fern 

 House (No. II. A.) erected on the north side of No. II. 

 It is o0 feet long by 11 feet wide, with a central path and 

 two cases running the full length of the house. 



The hardy ferns occupy the rockery originally devoted 

 to Alpine plants (before the construction of the Rock 

 Garden in 1882), and it extends over part of the adjacent 

 ground. A collection was established here in 1874, and 

 the rockery itself was reconstructed in 1888. 



The collection as a whole is now probably the richest in 

 existence in garden forms of British species. This is due 

 to the munificent bequest by W. C. Carbonell, Esq., of 

 the extensive collection formed by him at Rhiw Castell, 

 Usk, Monmouthshire. The whole was removed to Kew 

 in 1887. It consisted of 1,261 specimens, many probably 

 unique, besides some hundreds of seedlings. 



The total number of well-marked species of ferns and 

 the vascular Cryptogamia (fern allies) now mounts up to 

 3,500. Not more than one-third of these have been 

 23941 b 



