In 1845 the span -roofed house, which now foi'ms the 

 ■east wing of the Tropical Fern House (No. II.) was 

 •erected on the site of an old stove (No. 3 of Dr. Lindley's 

 Report). Sir William. Hooker describes it (in 1846) as 

 *' occupied with a rich and inestimable collection of 

 orchideous plants (of which a great proportion was 

 presented by Her Most Gracious Majesty)." This gift 

 was recorded by him in 1844 as "the entire and valuable 

 collection of orchideous plants formed at Woburn Abbey, 

 which on being offered to Her by the present Duke of 

 Bedford, Her Majesty was graciously pleased to accept 

 and to send to the Royal Gardens at Kew." Continuing 

 Sir William Hooker's account of the house : — "the centre 

 is filled with a handsome slate staging, so large as to 

 admit of a raised Avalk through the centre, thus enabling 

 the visitor to look down upon each side of the house, 

 while, over his head, and from the rafters, on either hand, 

 are suspended wire baskets, filled with beautiful tropical 

 epiphytes .... As the house in question opens on 

 to another and cooler stove (No. 2 now the west wing of 

 No. II.), we are enabled to remove the splendid epiphytes, 

 when in blossom, to a less heated atmosphere, and thus 

 preserve them in beauty for a much longer time. The 

 ■orchideous house is assuredly one of the most interesting 

 amonar the novel features of the establishment." 



'j-i 



In 1847 Sir William Hooker further recorded :— " the 

 ■orchideous house .... has proved admirable for its 

 structure, mode of heating, and the general arrangement ; 

 the plants, which have been increased [1846] by the 

 noble bequest <if the Rev. J. Clowes, of Broughton Hall, 

 near Manchester, who willed his splendid collection of 

 Orchidese to the Royal Botanic Gardens." It is somewhat 



