I 22 
NATURE NOTES. 
Botany in 1847, and the history of these museums is instruc- 
tive in showing what great results can be produced from small 
beginnings, Sir W. Hooker’s private collection presented by 
himself being the first objects placed in one of the rooms of 
what is now known as Museum No. 2. To this was added a 
few fruits and seeds already belonging to the gardens, and a 
few objects given by Mr. John Smith, the first curator. So 
rapidly did contributions in kind flow' in that in about seven 
years the v'hole building was, crammed with specimens, so that 
it was found necessary to erect a new building, which was 
opened to the public in 1851, and now forms what is known as 
the principal Museum, or Museum No. 1. In this building the 
cases are arranged on the best system for obtaining direct light 
without reflection, namely, by projecting from between the 
windows, forming bays glazed on either side. 
The Museums of Economic Botany at Kew consist of three 
distinct buildings, situated in_ different parts of the Gardens, 
namely, the one just referred to, or Museum No. 1, which was 
built specially for the purpose to which it is put, and which 
contains the products of the dicotyledonous plants ; the second, 
or No. 2 Museum, an old building, which has been admirably 
converted to its present use, and contains the monocotyledons 
and cryptogams; and the third, or No. 3 Museum, a building 
originally erected for, and formerly called the Orangery, which 
is principally devoted to large timber specimens. 
The aim of these Museums was well set forth in Sir William 
Hooker’s earl}' editions of the Museum Guide, in which he fore- 
told “ that such a collection \yould render great service not only 
to the scientific botanist, but to the merchant, the manufacturer, 
the physician, the chemist, the druggist, the dyer, the carpenter, 
and cabinet maker, and artisans of every description, who might 
here find the raw material (and, to a certain extent, also the 
manufactured or prepared article), employed in these several 
professions, correctly named and accompanied by some account 
of its origin, history, native country, &c.” All this has been 
quite fulfilled, and by a study of the contents of these museums 
a knowledge of the properties of the several natural orders may 
readily be obtained ; and that this knowledge is of very great 
value, especially to travellers and residents in foreign countries, 
is abundantly proved by the fact that with such a knowledge a 
man may estimate, with some degree of accuracy, the pro- 
perties of any new plant he may happen to discover in the 
course of travel, or meet with in the way of commerce. 
It is on account of this special or technical knowledge 
possessed by the Kew staff, gained by long and extended ex- 
perience, that the Museums and Herbarium have become of such 
immense service to the trade and commerce, both of this country 
and of our colonies generally. Kew has, in fact, more especially 
within the last ten or twelve years, become the constant referee 
in all things connected with vegetable products. 
