102 ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDEN. 



fiber of the husk, such as mats and matting, ropes and rough cord, 

 handbags and brushes. Various articles of dress made by the native 

 races in these climes are shown. 



Ever since this institution has been a national garden Kew has 

 been engaged in the propagation of plants useful as food, in medi- 

 cine, in manufacture, and in the arts and in their distribution to 

 those British colonies .and possessions in which they are most likely 

 to succeed. This works for the good of the Empire in two ways. 

 In the first place, it opens up new industries in the colonies, giving 

 employment to capital and creating a demand for labor; and, sec- 

 ondly, by increasing the supply of the various products it brings 

 them within the means of a much larger proportion of the home 

 population than could otherwise obtain them. 



Quinine from Peru and the hill countries of India to Ceylon and 

 other colonies. Eubber was introduced from the forests of Brazil 

 to Ceylon and subsequently to the other eastern possessions of Brit- 

 ain. Bananas have been distributed to the colonies. Natal tea plants 

 were obtained through Kew. Cocoa was introduced from South 

 America to Ceylon. 



KEW TO-DAY. 



Organization of Kew staff. — The organization of Kew may be 

 described in a few words. At the head of the establishment, but 

 subject in matters of administration to the board of agriculture and 

 fisheries, is the director. In him is vested the supreme control of 

 the gardens, museums, herbarium, and police. His principal officers 

 are an assistant director and three chiefs of departments — the keeper 

 of the herbarium, the curator of the gardens, and the keeper of the 

 museums. His office is the center of the establishment. Here he 

 meets every morning the heads of departments, discusses with them 

 work and correspondence, collates information from the respective- 

 branches, and distributes to those concerned with such work, in- 

 quiries, etc., as have accumulated since the previous day. His office 

 may lie described as the clearing house of Kew. The keeper of the 

 herbarium is assisted by two principal assistants and seven assist- 

 ants. The curator has one assistant curator and an office assistant. 

 Besides being the center controlling purely garden matters, his 

 office is the place where accounts are kept and financial business con- 

 ducted. The immediate control of the garden work is vested in five 

 foremen, who have for sectional charges subforemen and gangers. 

 The keeper for the museums, who has one assistant, is concerned 

 chiefly with economic questions; and the keeper of the laboratory 

 with physiological ones. The total regular staff of Kew is as fol- 

 lows: Director's office, 4; herbarium and library, 16; museums and 

 laboratory. 10 ; gardens, 140 ; constables and police, 25. 



As a public garden. — To nine-tenths of the people who visit Kew 

 the institution is not the headquarters of botam^ in the British Em- 

 pire, nor the site on which a greater variety of plants is to be seen 

 than anywhere else on the globe, nor a great center and training 

 school in horticulture: it is simply a beautiful garden — a place in 

 which to spend a few pleasant hours. And whilst this is the most 

 popular aspect of Kew we can not say that it is the least important 

 one. In 190T nearly 3.000.000 visitors entered its gates — a fact more 



