A^eVemberPlfo5m•}  London  Botanic  Gardens.  565 
Refore  passing  on  to  the  events  which  reinstated  Kew  to  its 
former  position,  a  short  summary  will  be  given  of  the  salient  facts 
in  its  history  which  have  not  already  been  dealt  with.  Among  the 
many  evidences  of  Sir  Joseph  Banks'  energy,  mention  may  be  made 
of  the  magnificent  drawings  of  plants  executed  by  Francis  Bauer, 
an  Austrian,  who,  with  the  King's  sanction,  was  engaged  in  1790  as 
draughtsman  to  the  Botanic  Gardens.  Albeit,  Sir  Joseph  Banks  paid 
his  salary  during  his  own  lifetime  and  arranged  for  its  continuance 
after  his  death.  Another  of  Sir  Joseph  Banks'  projects  was  the 
foundation  of  a  herbarium  and  library  at  Kew  ;  a  beginning  was 
made  with  the  latter,  but  the  former  was  not  effectually  accomplished 
until  1852,  when  the  oldest  portion  of  the  present  building  was  first 
used  for  that  purpose.  It  was  this  very  building,  known  in  Banks' 
time  as  "  Hunter  House,"  that  he  had  proposed  to  utilize  for  that 
purpose. 
The  beginning  made  in  1802  towards  the  incorporation  of  Rich- 
mond with  Kew  Gardens  seems  to  have  progressed  but  slowly.  It 
will,  however,  be  convenient  to  treat  them  as  one  from  this  date, 
and  to  consider  them  under  the  general  heading  of 
KEW  GARDENS  AND  PLEASURE  GROUNDS. 
In  1823  George  IV  acquired  the  western  portion  of  Kew  Green, 
including  an  old  road  which  led  from  thence  to  Brentford  Ferry ; 
the  wall  which  divided  the  Royal  Gardens  from  this  road  was  re- 
moved by  William  IV  in  1830.  By  these  means  a  portion  of  the 
present  herbarium  and  the  whole  of  its  site,  the  old  Kew  Gardens, 
and  the  former  Richmond  Gardens,  became  a  single  royal  domain ; 
and  the  fusion  proved,  incidentally,  to  be  the  first  step  towards  the 
opening  up  of  Kew  to  the  public. 
In  the  reign  of  William  IV,  W.  T.  Aiton  had  become  Director- 
General  of  Kew,  but  in  addition  to  this  he  held  numerous  other 
posts,  with  the  result  that  Kew  received  little  attention,  especially 
as  the  sovereign  took  comparatively  little  interest  in  it.  The  pres- 
ent plant  house,  near  the  main  entrance,  is,  however,  an  heritage 
from  William  IV,  who  had  it  removed  there  from  Buckingham  Pal- 
ace. It  has  already  been  indicated  that  the  gardens  had  been  ren- 
dered accessible  to  the  public ;  and  in  proportion  as  the  interest 
of  kings  decreased,  that  of  the  public  increased.  It  is  recorded  in 
1825  that  Kew  was  open  to  the  public  on  Sundays  from  Midsummer 
