Our National Gardens 



which many plants, especially some of the New 

 Zealand plants, are grown in greater perfection 

 than they can be grown at Kew, and Ireland 

 has a very pretty and well-managed garden at 

 Glasnevin, near Dublin. 



But because Kew is entirely supported at the 

 national cost, the public think they have a right 

 to growl if everything is not done to their complete 

 satisfaction, and in more than one particular the 

 growling is somewhat unreasonable. I will men- 

 tion two such. A demand has been frequently 

 made that the garden should be open to all from 

 the earliest hours ; it is now open to the public 

 at twelve and to students and others earlier, by 

 permission (easily obtained). One objection to 

 the earlier opening is that it is not only or chiefly 

 a pleasure garden, but above all a scientific estab- 

 lishment, and the earlier opening would seriously 

 interfere with the scientific work. But another 

 objection is that Kew is rapidly becoming a resi- 

 dential suburb of London. Numberless new 

 houses have been built, the population has in- 

 creased largely, and if the gardens were opened 

 in the morning they would be invaded by children 

 of all ages, with the necessary accompaniment of 

 nursemaids and perambulators, and the interfer- 

 ence with the work of the gardens, the greater 

 part of which is done in the forenoon, would be 

 very serious. Another growl may sometimes be 

 heard that people cannot get from Kew flowers 

 or plants to the extent that some think they are 

 IS7 



