Our National Gardens 



plants of the country cultivated with great skill 

 and care, but plants were collected from many- 

 other countries, and these plants " were system- 

 atically arranged by the Aztecs, who understood 

 their properties, and collected them into nurseries, 

 more extensive than any then existing in the old 

 world." In England the Physic Garden at Oxford 

 and the Apothecaries' Garden at Chelsea led the 

 way as public gardens, but they were not maintained 

 or even helped by the public purse. 



The beginning and progress of Kew as a public 

 and national garden have an interesting history. 

 A little more than a hundred and fifty years ago 

 the whole property was in private hands, but even 

 then the gardens were reckoned among the best 

 in the country. After being leased to the Prince 

 of Wales, they were bought by George III., and 

 under the able advice of the Earl of Bute and 

 the management of the Aitons the character of 

 the gardens was well maintained, but they were 

 in no sense public property. After some years' 

 neglect they were placed under the care of Sir 

 William Hooker, and to some extent were opened 

 to the public. From that time the progress has 

 been steady ; by the liberality of the Queen the 

 size of the gardens has been increased from the 

 twelve acres which were opened to the public in 

 1840 to more than 300 acres; and under the 

 skilful, and we may say the loving, management 

 of Sir William Hooker, Sir Joseph Hooker, and 

 the present director. Sir W. Thiselton Dyer, the 

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