100 KEW GARDENS 



diarist, not always to be depended on in matters 

 outside her own observation, intimates that 

 the Board of Works declined undertaking any 

 improvement in the Queen's private garden ; 

 from which we should understand that the 

 Botanic Garden was partly carried on at the 

 public cost, where Chambers had already built 

 an orangery, now turned into the Timber 

 Museum. One thing appears plain, that even 

 the subordinate gardeners had good places, 

 when Green could offer 250 as his contribu- 

 tion towards those denied hothouses, and 

 Haverfield brought up his youngest son to be 

 a clergyman. In all, the Gardens came to cover 

 some 120 acres, about half their present extent, 

 as might have seemed a small matter to 

 Tamerlane, who boasted of his garden measur- 

 ing 120 miles round Samarcand. 



The chief name among Kew gardeners of 

 this reign was William Aiton's, who, if he had 

 spelt himself Aytoun, like others of the family, 

 would at once be recognised as coming from 

 the North. W aiving the question as to whether 

 Adam, the first gardener, were not a Scot and 

 a Presbyterian, one finds it notorious that Scots- 

 men have renowned themselves in planting the 



