REPORT OF THE CONFERENCE ON GENETICS, 65 
excellent President, Sir Trevor Lawrence. Sir Trevor is a man who loves 
flowers, and who not only loves flowers, but who studies flowers, especially 
orchids, and he hybridises his love for flowers with his love for welcoming 
his guests. I propose that we drink the health of Sir Trevor and Lady 
Lawrence and their family. 
Sir Trevor Lawrence said :—Professor Wittmack, Ladies, and Gentle- 
men,—I do not remember how many years it is, but it is some considerable 
time since I had the pleasure of a visit from the Medical Congress, which at 
that time met in London on very much such a day as this. I think I 
may say that to-day we have been fortunate. Iam afraid, owing to the 
hangings of the tent, you have not all of you had quite as much of the 
delightful breeze that is blowing as you could have desired; still, it is a 
beautiful day. Iam not going to wish for what happened on the occasion 
of the visit of the Medical Congress, when it began to rain the next day, 
and rained vigorously for about a fortnight. I hope the rain, having now 
kept off so long, will postpone its advent for yet some few days longer—at 
any rate until this Conference is over. It has been a very, very great pleasure 
to my wife and myself to receive so many distinguished men as we see 
around us here to-day, and we are the more pleased because the weather 
has enabled you to see this part of Surrey to the best advantage. Surrey 
is an exceedingly pretty county. Well, gentlemen, you have heard what 
Professor Wittmack said about the Royal Horticultural Society. I have 
had the good fortune to be more or less a figure-head, and you know the 
people to whom our success is really due. I should like it to be understood 
that I am the very last to take any credit for the resuscitation of the 
Society. We haye had the advantage of the help of the best gardeners in 
the kingdom. We have had with us men who worked for horticulture and 
all that belonged to it, because in this country it is a very big industry. 
They have done all they could to support the Society, and to them 
very greatly is due the present position of the Royal Horticultural Society, 
as well as to the fact that we, that is to say, the President, the Treasurer 
(Sir Daniel Morris), the Secretary (Mr. Wilks), and the rest of the Council, 
decided to devote ourselves and the Society, absolutely and solely to the 
promotion of horticulture. Some reference has been made to the plants 
grown here. When my friends say to me, “I think you grow orchids, 
don’t you?”’ I always say, “ Yes, it is perfectly true,” but I always like 
them to understand that I take a warm interest in eyery class of flower 
and fruit and vegetable, in fact in every branch of horticulture. I may 
know a little bit more about this branch or that, but I should be unwilling 
for my friends to suppose that I am entirely absorbed by orchids and 
do not take an interest in other plants as well. I have lived among horti- 
culturists all my life, and the little that I know I have found to be of 
great use under all circumstances, and if horticulture has been my foster- 
mother she has been a very genial foster-mother indeed. There may be 
some plants that may interest you out of doors. I hope you will go where- 
ever you like to wander. I would only repeat that it has given my wife 
and myself the greatest possible pleasure to see you all here to-day, and 
I hope we may all still be alive when the next Hybrid Conference takes 
place in London, and that you will again favour us with the pleasure of 
your company at Burford. I thank you, Professor, very much indeed, for 
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