1909] The Ottawa Naturalist. 33 



those of the Rural Dean of Lisgar. The work proving too 

 onerous, he resigned in 1903, to take up the position of bursar and 

 steward of St. John's College, Winnipeg, which, with the position, 

 in the same institution, of lecturer in botany and the English 

 Bible, he held until his death. 



As a botanist Canon Burman was widely known. An 

 enthusiastic collector, his herbarium of local plants is easily the 

 finest in Manitoba. Not only local plants are represented how- 

 ever. Some five years ago, I well remember a delightful evening 

 of the Manitoba Natural History Society, when Canon Burman 

 showed a splendid collection of Arctic plants. 



To know the Canon was to admire and love him. Quiet, 

 unassuming, he was always engaged in work for the benefit of 

 others, as the history of our Humane Society and that of our 

 Children's Aid Society testify. 



Some years ago it was found he was suffering from tubercular 

 trouble, and nothing could be done to check its inroads. Just 

 before Christmas I spoke to him and he told me of an intended 

 visit to Texas in January. His illness took a worse turn and he 

 was unable to leave. For several weeks he suffered intensely but 

 with marvellous fortitude and then death intervened. 



Truly Canada has reason to mourn that two such men as 

 Dr. Fletcher and Canon Btirman warm personal friends have 

 been called awav within such a short space of time. 



J. B. Wallis. 



MEETINGS OF THE BOTANICAL BRANCH. 



At the Botanical Branch meeting of February 27th, a 

 discussion on the inter-relation of soils and plants was led by 

 Mr. George H. Clark, sixteen members of the Club being present. 



Evidence was presented to illustrate that plants are grouped 

 in nature according to the physical, chemical and biological 

 conditions of the soil. A knowledge of plant relations, range of 

 conditions respecting their habitat, and their habits of growth 

 under those varying conditions, serves the botanist as an index 

 to the range of temperature of the district, the moisture, and 

 the physical, chemical, and, to some extent, the biological con- 

 ditions of the soil on which the species are found. 



"De Candolle's theory of the excretions of plants" and the 

 results of recent experiments and observations pertaining to 

 toxic excretions from the roots of plants were discussed. Ex- 

 periments in the seed laboratory at Ottawa showed that after 

 making germination test with cereal grains, it was necessary to 

 discard the soil from the boxes before making a subsequent 



