Norwich bulletin., 1913-03-26
k1aeT o4 4EcTvREs
 TOR HoRTicuLTURisTs
New Isa6on oeHnty Society Heard .vaissahie A<drsss on Faneus Kew .Gardsns sf kendon.

legs De6ofe an nWdso0ce ot about
 huAdrcd 1t the Trinity N. E. church
 Tuesday evening opened . series ol
 four meetings, held under the aus-
 pces of the New London County Hor-
 open sto members and to the general
 pubic. Prof. Thomas held the close
 attention of all 'wath his address show 4Snf oIoge familiarity with his subject.
 frsstdsnt s. Alpheus Gilbert well
 eomed the gathering briefly and in
 said fthet the Kew gardens were bot
 aricA xaraens. differing from the av-
 .eraxe 1axden in that the plants are
 arran9ed with regard to their botan-
 3cal relations making 1t somewhat
 dlMcult to always secure pleasing
 effect to the eye. In the Kew gardens, however. this is accomplished with
 considerable success. These gardens,
 he said, are something more than a
 place of delight and entertainment for
 tno peopbe of London and to visitors,
 velopdng the industries of the coun- +trysS foreign possessions. The soil and climatic conditions of Great Britain's colonies are studied and plants of in
 dustrsaI value best suited to these con- dftons are introduced into the various
 cotoriies. He spoke in part as fol-
 1owss
 Back to Sixteenth Century.
 The history of the botanical gardens
 
 the carly part of the sixteenth cen tury. They are usually referred to
 aa Kew gardens. The name Kew is taken rom what was at one time a picturesaue English village combining quiet b@uty with an air of well be- 1ng. Those days have long since pass ed. and today the site of the old vil- laEa Is surrounded by one of the bus lest sections in the southwestern part of.the metropolitan area Like lpost British institutions, the botanical gar denS have developed from small be- stnnings. Originally some nine acres in size. they have gradually extended their boundaries until now they cover an area of over 400 acres
 Ihe present garden is the result of fhe fusion of two royal domains. Rich tae delight of Queen Caroline. ~ Wifs SS of # George II. and Kew house and grounds formerly the estate of Lord Capel and subsequently, the home of Frederick, Prince of Wales. whose father, George IT had succeeded to the throne in Work of Princess Augusta.
 Now, when Frederick, Prince of Wales. son of George II, secured Kew palace and grounds for his residence, timate association of Kew with the royal family, which only ceased with the death of the Duke of Cambridge 1eof. Frederic. with the aid of A1p- architect, relaid out it's grounds. He. however, died in 1751, and it is not to him. but to Princess Augusta, that the honor of establishing the botanical Sentersat Kew is due. It had hither- to$ been held in high repute as a place where advanced and refined horticul- fure had long been practtced. But 1t was not long now before it began un- quirs a scientific character and repu- tat1on-z Whilst no date can be fixed as the absolute beginning of Kew as a botanical garden. the year 175S is not able: as witnessing the commencement of great activity there
 There were three chief helpers and advisors each in his own way a re- snark2ble man, whom the princess had enlisted in her service in 175S. Cham oers waA an architect purely: Alton. who was but 2S years of age, and was responsible for cultural mat fers only:a Lord Butte was the ''prin- ahc impetus. It is to him and to the princess. whose generosity and liberal h1indedness were the moving powers mat the formation Of Kew as the bot ensea4 center Of the British empire is | Botanical Headquarters of Colonies.
 In z912 the Princess Augusta died. ! Hex 0o1. George III. continued the | Rork and made its success assured by l appointing Sir Joseph Banks as his | scteufidc advisor in place of Lord | Butte. The collections increased rap Idty.- and in TITS range for the re- | eeptaon of Cape plants was erected: 1 snd another for Australian plants in | t142A The HoGtus KeWsnsis of Will 1 Ian Alton was published in 17s9. and | 2n this Important work accounts of | ezaeses cquisftfons are found It is to | Ehs &inntlsncs of these collectors | aDon as the botanical headquartere of | the British colonies. The collections | AccunnnlA4ed by Sir Joseph Banks the l sesources, oe his library. the maGniff- l eenf eel silisasfrAeions of plants executed l hT ssthe Australian artist, Francis l !SsSzsr, and the unprecedented facili- 4es for. cultural experiment effected l fu the other hand. the transformation 4 4aksw into research center.
 After the death of George III and 1 Fir Joseph Banks in 1920. the actfyi- Hes 0f Kew suffered an eclipse untfI kfs reorganization of the instifution in Es41- z In that year Kew was placed n charge Of a government tepart ] laeuHs and became the property of the ka&sou- 4zs
 Kew has from time to time at-xhe ~quesf of the government carried out important undertakings for the es- l. he introduction of "cinchona,' quini1e bark into India, the inyesti- saHon or the coffee disease in Cey- l 0n. and the inquiry into the economic | The work of Kew in the field of re- eareh has been so varied and ex- ensFver that 1t is impossible to tcSeTfbe any line of work fully.
 Famed for Systematic Botany.
 The branch of botanical research ;Y, Ehfch the institution has achieved the rsateSts fame Is, undoubtedly, that of gaten1ztzc botany.
 There are four large economic mr. ef1Hia, and they contain all kinds of rsiit, seeds, gums, resins, dyestuffs, ruga, sections oI all kinds of wood l ur1ous vegetable products in fact Tsrythin6 used in medicine, arts. and T domestic economy. The existence fde by side of extensive col ectfons of drugs, of a unique herba- furn. and of important living col ecffons. has presented a wide field to nyeStisators in the domain of phar- dacoiogy..
 The Functions of Kew may be sum 1arfzed as follows:
 # brings together new species and axfetfes of economic plants, and se- scts from among them those best dapfed for propagation in the col nies-4ltras hence an intermediate ouse and center of supplies for oi0riai establishments.
 F The Institution supplies botanists