CONFERENCE. 127 
CONFERENCE, 
WEDNESDAY, JuLY 12, 1899, at WESTMINSTER. 
Introductory Remarks by the Rey. Professor Gro. Henstow 
M.A., V.M.H. 
I have been asked by our Secretary to take the place of Sir Michael 
Foster, who, I am sorry to say, is seriously ill, confined to his bed, and 
cannot possibly be with us to-day, I regret this very much, and so, I 
am sure, shall we all, as from Sir Michael we should have had a most 
valuable introductory address. At the very last moment I have been 
asked to open the proceedings. You will not therefore expect me to 
give you an introductory address, as I said almost all I had to say 
yesterday. But there is just one remark I should like to make. The 
great value of these meetings is that we connect together the scientific 
aspect with the practical. Not only does this apply to hybridisation, but 
to all departments of botany. The botanist studying physiological laws 
of plants would only be too thankful to get the facts which the hybridist is 
familiar with; while by the bringing forward of the scientific aspect, 
the practical man’s work is much expedited. So we work, and should 
always work, hand in hand. 
