aO PREFACE. 



In 1820, according to Smith (p. 96), the palms 

 " occupied a lean-to house called the Palm House, which 

 stood ahout 100 feet north of the west end of the present 

 Fern House (No. II.) : it was 60 feet long, 16 feet wide, 

 and 15 feet high at the back." In 1828, to accom- 

 modate the increasing size of the specimens, " the house 

 was raised four feet." 



He continues : — " In 1830 the collection had increased 

 to 40 species, which necessitated placing some of them 

 in other houses. During the latter years of the reign 

 of George III. and George IV., a new Palm House was 

 contemplated, and a plot of ground set apart for its 

 erection ; but nothing was done until the accession of 

 WiUiam IV., who took much interest in improving the 

 Gardens. In 1834 a plan for a spacious Palm House 

 was prepared by the celebrated architect, Sir Jeffrey 

 Wyatville, and in October 1834 a spot was selected and 

 the length of the house marked out in the presence of 

 the King." 



The project was not, however, carried out, and it was 

 Jiot until the Royal Gardens became a public institution 

 that it was accomplished. The present building was 

 completed in 1848, from the designs of Decimus 

 'Burton, Esq. The length of the structure is 362 feet ; 

 its width in the centre 100 feet, and height 66 feet ; 

 the wings are 50 feet wide and 30 feet high. 



The oldest palm in the house is Sabal hlackbuvniana. 

 <Jf these there were two specimens, one of which was 

 taken down for want of room in 1876. Smith (Records, 

 pp. 122, 123) gives the following acoount of them : — 

 "On my entering Kew in the Spring of 1820, the first 

 hot house I came to was the Palm House ; on looking 



