xl 
PROCEEDINGS, 
recording instances of primitive customs, industries, appliances, 
and so forth.” As to this Mr. Henry Balfour made the following 
(amongst other) very pertinent remarks :—“ Ho one can have 
a higher admiration for the very noble institution known as the 
British Museum than I have, hut at the same time I have a sort 
of uneasy feeling that it is representative of almost everything 
except British archaeology and ethnology; and one object in raising 
this matter to-day is to suggest that this systematic collection of 
all such things as I have referred to should be made with a view 
to establishing some day a museum which will adequately represent 
the past history of our own country, not only the prehistoric 
period, but also the later mediaeval and peasant life of the country, 
which has not received sufficient attention so far.” That which 
is here recommended for the whole country might well be attempted 
for Hertfordshire in our County Museum. 
Field Meeting, 26th April, 1902. 
KEW GARDENS. 
A party of some five-and-twenty members and friends assembled 
at the principal entrance to the Gardens on Kew Green, some 
cycling from Watford, whilst the majority arrived by train. The 
meeting was under the direction of the Librarian, Mr. Daniel Hill, 
F.R.H.S., who has furnished the following account of it: — 
The “Wild Garden” was first visited, where narcissi, tulips, 
crocuses, and other bulbous plants were seen growing naturally in 
the grass. This style of gardening might well be adopted more 
generally, for in many gardens there are grass borders, pieces of 
lawn, or orchards, which could be made beautiful for at least three 
months in the year by judicious planting of bulbs, etc., which die 
down before the grass requires cutting for hay. 
The “Hock Garden” was next visited, where various members 
of the saxifrage and hardy primula family were in full flower. 
The Temperate and Tropical Fern Houses were then walked 
through, and also the Succulent House, in which a fine Protea 
was in full flower. This singular Cape plant has hard rigid leaves 
up the stems, with a flower at the top much resembling a large 
sunflower, though belonging to an entirely different natural order. 
Many beautiful hardy and half-hardy annuals and biennials were 
seen in flower in the “ Greenhouse,” a fine show being made with 
the new varieties of Schizanthus , Cineraria cruenta hybrids, and 
Campanula. 
' The bed in the tank in the Victoria regia House had just been 
made up ready to receive the seedling plant, and it was noticed 
that the plant of Lodoicea seychtllensis had been moved to the other 
side of the house, as it had grown quite up to the glass in its 
former place. In the Balm House a banana was pointed out in 
flower, and also Strelitzia angustifolia, belonging to the same 
natural order (Musaceae). It has a very curious blossom somewhat 
