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most remarkable slide was some diatoms from Java, one of 

 Miiller's mountings ; they were like a number of vei'tebrae. Indeed, 

 there were some very interesting objects, especially good were 

 those showing the scales of plants, a i-hododendron among them 

 being well worthy of attention. He would like to know if they 

 desired him to keep his promise and give a paper on fur, wool, 

 and silk, that day month. — The Chairman said that under the 

 circumstances in which they were placed by Mr. Dennett's illness, 

 he thought it would be desirable. 



Three pen and ink sketches, illustrative of the Society's last 

 field excursion, were presented by the Rev. J. H. Cross. 



The meeting then resolved itself into a Conversazione, when 

 the objects mentioned, and others, were exhibited by Messrs. J» C. 

 Haselwood, T. W. Wonfor, F. E. Sawyer, W. Puttick, T. Glaisyer, 

 and R. Glaisyer. 



June loth. 



ORDINARY MEETING.— MR. BENJAMIN LOMAX 



ON "THE MINOR DISEASES OF PLANTS." 



The subject was one which was not even referred to in the 

 standard works on Vegetable Physiology, and concerning which he 

 could give no information that was not supplied from his own 

 limited powers and opportunities of observations. We were 

 accustomed to think of plants in one of two conditions — that of 

 rude health or that of mortal disease. If a plant presented its 

 normal appearance, performed its functions properly, and attained 

 its average size, it was a healthy organism. If it was monstrous in 

 form, stunted in growth, or irregular in the performance of its 

 functions, it was a diseased plant and would die. So we summed 

 the matter up, except in those few cases where science had enabled 

 ns to fight successfully against rust or blight, and to restore to f uU 

 health an organism that, but for the intervention of human agencj'', 

 must have perished. But surely this was a vei"y limited view to 

 take of the diseases incident to vegetable life. Medical friends 

 would find both their duties and incomes strangely curtailed if 

 their practice wei'e limited to fatal maladies. Although Nature 



