president's address. 1225 



fertilization. The Messrs. Cole of Melbourne, give us from time 

 to time delicious new fruits. One of the last they gave us, viz., 

 the pear " Madam Cole," was produced by crossing the two 

 delicious pears " Beurre Clairgeau " and " Winter Nelis, r ' and 

 this new pear is said to combine in a marked degree, blended 

 together, the excellencies 6"f its two parents. 



Iu the case of the potatoe, we know that many new varieties 

 are produced by artificial hybridization ; for it is quite an ordinary 

 thing for nurserymen (Americans especially) to give with a new 

 variety its parentage. 



Artificial hybridization is also largely used in the production of 

 new varieties of our cultivated flowers. In the case of the rose, it 

 is by no means uncommon to give with a new variety, its pedigree. 

 In fact, some of the English Rose Catalogues contain a separate 

 list of new pedigree roses. 



The late Mr. Ellwanger of Rochester, New York, gives in his 

 book on •' The Rose " a list of 26 roses, which are claimed to be 

 the result of artificial crossing ; and amongst them are the names 

 of some of our most beautiful vai'ieties. 



In my last Anniversary Address I made refei'ence to the economic 

 mineral resources of New South Wales. I also briefly alluded to 

 the fact that the chief characteristic physical features of Australia 

 are represented within the limits of our own colony ; and that 

 upon our favotired geographical position, and the varied nature of 

 the land features, we must naturally look for a corresponding 

 variety in the climate and in the Fauna and Flora. Now in 

 investigating these we are inevitably led to a consideration of 

 their origin, and as this at once involves geological research, I beg 

 that you will allow me to make a few remarks on one of the most 

 interesting and important periods of geological history as affecting 

 this question. In doing so I will ask you to accompany me not 

 very far back into the history of the earth, but as it were only one 

 step from the present into the past — geologically speaking, from 

 the Recent to the Pleistocene period — a period when some of the 

 living forms of animals and plants co-existed with many that are 

 now extinct. No marked line of division can be drawn between 



