Kew Botanic Garden. 367 



It is difficult to reconcile this statement with the fact, that up to a recent 

 period no means had been taken to carry such an object into effect. 



That no communication is maintained with colonial gardens is apparent 

 from the garden-book of deliveries, an abstract of which, from the year 1805, 

 is annexed. It will be seen from this document, that since the year 1830, the 

 only deliveries to colonial gardens, or in aid of the British government, have 

 been one to the garden of New South Wales, and one to Lord Auckland, 

 when proceeding to his government in India. Mr. Aiton states that all such 

 applications have been complied with, but that the garden cannot be saddled 

 with the expense of fitting up boxes for exportation. It appears, however, 

 that the principal expense of such trees is defrayed by the Board of Works. 

 It is well known that a great desire is felt in the Colonies to procure plants 

 from this country ; it is equally well known that applications to other gardens 

 for such assistance are extremely common; it is therefore singular that what 

 happens so frequently elsewhere, should so seldom happen in the Botanical 

 Garden of Kew. 



Visiters are unreservedly admitted to the garden daily, except on Sundays, 

 and Mr. Aiton deserves credit for having exercised his power, as director- 

 general, in order to secure this privilege to the public. It is, however, not 

 easy to discover what advantage, except that of a pleasant walk, has been de- 

 rived from the privilege in the past state of the garden. 



A supposed difficulty in obtaining from this garden any of the duplicate 

 plants to be given away, has been the subject of a great deal of public dis- 

 cussion for many years ; and attention having been called to it by the 

 Committee, very particular enquiries have been made into the truth of the 

 common opinion. Mr. Aiton states that in this matter he has acted upon 

 his own judgment, and by virtue of his authority as director-general of the 

 royal gardens ; that he has always considered the Botanical Garden a private 

 establishment; that the only rule which he has observed in giving away du- 

 plicates has been, to assist those who were likely to aid the garden in return; 

 and that, in his opinion, it is desirable that the garden should be conducted 

 upon the most liberal plan, consistent with the safety of the collections. 



Undoubtedly it has been in one sense a private garden of the crown, inas- 

 much as its ordinary charges have been defrayed by the Lord Steward's de- 

 partment ; but, on the other hand, all the large expenses for foreign collectors 

 having been for many years paid by the Treasury or Admiralty, it must be 

 considered, to a certain extent, a public garden also. 



Upon examining the book of deliveries before alluded to, and of which the 

 abstract is appended to this Report, it appears that in the course of the last 

 32 years there have been 28 deliveries to the British Colonies, or to persons 

 residing in the foreign settlements belonging to the British Crown ; 36 to 

 various branches of the Royal Family ; 21 to specific institutions in this 

 country; 227 to private individuals in this country; and 171 to foreigners ; 

 in all 483, or about 15 a year. 



Mr. Aiton has sent the following letter in explanation of this : — 



Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, February 22. 1838. 



Sir, Agreeably to the request conveyed to me in your letter of the 20th 

 instant, I send you an abstract of all deliveries contained in the garden-books, 

 together with the names of the persons to whom the same were forwarded ; 

 but the residences not being always inserted is the cause of several omissions 

 in this particular. Many plants, seeds, and cuttings, in small quantities, have 

 been given to amateurs, of which no account has been taken. It should be, 

 however, particularly observed, that the royal collection has been required to 

 supply great quantities of flowering and other plants in the reign of His late 

 Majesty King George the Fourth, especially for the conservatories at Carlton 

 House, the King's House, Lodge at Windsor Park, the orangery at the Castle ; 

 and that these supplies being only from one to another of the royal gardens, 



B B 4) 



