403 
Mr. V. H. Krirxuam, late Director of Chemical Research, 
Kenya, has been appointed, by the Secretary of State for the 
Colonies, Director of Agriculture, Zanzibar. 
Lieut. A. G. Bearriz has been appointed by the Secretary of 
State for the Colonies on the recommendation of Kew, Superin- 
tendent, Agricultural Department, Nigeria. 
Lorp VENTRY.—We record with regret the death of Lieutenant 
Celonel Lord Ventry, D.S.O., in September. In his later years 
he took a keen interest in the growing of New Zealand Flax on his 
estate in Kerry, where it flourished remarkably well. An account 
of his experiments were published in K.B. 1919, p. 169, with 
illustrations showing the growth of the plant at Burnham, Dingle, 
Co. Kerry. He was a frequent and always an interesting corre- 
spondent of Kew with regard to his experiments with Flax 
Cultivation, which he pursued with great patience and an 
optimism that deserved to be rewarded with commercial success. 
Retirement of Mr. G. T. Lane.—In February last Mr. G. T. 
Lane retired from the post of Curator of the Royal Botanic 
Gardens, Calcutta. Mr. Lane entered Kew as a young gardener 
in 1889 and after two years’ service was appointed Assistant 
Curator of the Calcutta Gardens, of which he became Curator in 
1894. 
The Annual Report of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Calcutta, 
for 1922-23, contains the following record of Mr. Lane’s 
service :— 
“With Mr. Lane’s retirement on the 2nd February 1923 
Government loses an officer of long and faithful service. He 
first joined the garden staff some thirty-two years ago under 
the then Superintendent, Sir George King, who early formed 
a high opinion of his character and abilities. Mr. Lane saw 
service under several Superintendents and acting Superinten- 
dents, and it is sufficient to say that all have left records 
endorsing the high opinion of him which Sir George King was 
first in a position to form. His relations with garden labour 
were particularly happy. Firmness combined with sympathy 
and tact were amongst Mr. Lane’s natural gifts enabling him 
to command as loyal service from those placed in his charge 
as he himself never failed to give 
Mr. Lane has been succeeded as Curator at Caleutta by 
Mr. W. V. Norra. (K.B. 1912, p. 392.) 
The Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture.—At a meeting 
of the West Indian Agricultural College held at the Colonial 
Office on 3rd October 1923 it was decided that the name of 
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