GARDENS PUBLIC AND BOTANICAL 



There is an interesting link between the Botanical 

 Garden of Missouri and Kew. This magnificent 

 western garden was the gift of Henry Shaw, an Eng- 

 lishman from Sheffield, son of a cutler and iron-worker 

 who came to America to push his fortunes. The boy 

 soon started out on his own account, with a small stock 

 of merchandise, and after visiting various cities, finally 

 settled in St. Louis, then, 1819, no more than a small 

 French trading-post. Here he prospered exceedingly, 

 and in twenty years had made a fortune equivalent to a 

 million nowadays. Upon this he retired. 



A cool-headed, cool-hearted man, with neither wife 

 nor intimate friend, he spent some time traveling about 

 Europe and England. Finally, at Chatsworth, where 

 Mary, Queen of Scots, was for so long a prisoner, the 

 beautiful gardens inspired him with the desire of him- 

 self creating a garden. He returned to St. Louis, and 

 spent the remainder of his life and the greater part of 

 his fortune in the delightful labor. He soon got into, 

 communication with Sir W. J. Hooker, of Kew, and 

 received from him the most enthusiastic assistance and 

 advice ; for Hooker not only greatly improved his own 

 charge, but was constantly on the alert to do whatever 

 lay in his power for others, and this garden enterprise 

 in the New World touched him closely. 



Shaw left the gardens to the State on his death, and 

 they have been carried on with the best results of 

 beauty and of scientific use. 



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