8 Proceedings of the Botanical Society of 
Mr. Blanc exhibited ripe fruits of the white strawberry, 
recently introduced into the country by him. 
May 26. At 6 p.m. members and their friends gath- 
ered in the classroom of the Botanical Department, when the 
Director of the garden referred to recent developments in it. 
Thereafter the company inspected the plants in the green- 
houses, which were described by Drs. Macfarlane, Miller and 
Schmucker. At 7.15 the ladies’ auxiliary committee received, 
and served lunch supper in a room of the department. 
At 8 p.m. Dr. Miller called the meeting to order. Mr. 
Charles Hires spoke on ‘“‘The Vanilla Plant in Its Native 
Home.” He told of a visit made to Mexico in order to study 
the plant; of the stages in his journey through the interior 
to the west coast, and his subsequent observations on vanilla 
cultivation, collection and preservation. He described the 
different types of capsule and the mode of recognition of each, 
illustrating by a large series of preparations and samples. 
Dr. Adolph Miller then described the history of the plant, 
from the time when the natives came in contact with the 
Spaniards to the present day, when it is largely grown, not 
only in Mexico, but in Java and other East Indian islands. 
A cordial vote of thanks was given to Mr. Hires for his 
interesting communication. 
An exhibition of forty-seven varieties of rhododendron in 
flower was made from the collection of Mr. Clarence Clark. 
The parent forms of many of these were shortly described by 
Professor Macfarlane, who advised members to visit the collec- 
tion. 
Mrs. Mary Williams showed flowering shoots of Ledum 
latifolium from New England, through the kindness of Mr. 
Hosmer, of Concord, Mass. 
October 7. Dr. Miller, President, occupied the chair, and 
called on Henry S. Conard, who spoke on “The Natural 
History of Garden Cannas.” He spoke of their floral struc- 
