32 President's Address. 



where the subject of Miasmata, &c., is treated. The third 

 division deals with coniferai — a subject whose importance 

 is universally acknowledged. 



I cannot conclude without remarking that Koch's 

 patriotism was a very prominent feature in his character ; 

 to him "das Vaterland" was really what the name implies, 

 and for it he refused some excellent offers of preferment in 

 Eussia, Austria, and Belgium. He had a most independent 

 and thoroughly unselfish nature, was possessed of vast 

 energy, great amiability and benevolence, and was unswerv- 

 ingly truthful. His turn of mind was of an eminently 

 practical kind, and hence his motto was, — " The end and 

 purpose of all science is the mental and physical welfare of 

 all mankind." As a botanist he held a first rank, but from 

 his utilitarian tendency he chose rather the horticultural 

 branch of the science as his special path, and all Germany 

 has reaped the benefit of his devotion to this department, for 

 his reports on " Fruit Culture in the German Empire, and 

 the Fruit Crops of the Year," were full of useful information, 

 and, like all his other writings, were characterised by great 

 accuracy, and tended to promote the cultivation of fruit, 

 while, at the same time, they pointed to the best varieties. 

 Koch aimed at becoming Director of the Botanical Garden 

 of Berlin, and this wish was gratified by his being appointed 

 to that office on the death of Alexander Braun, but un- 

 fortunately his health began to fail, and he resigned this 

 honourable post after having held it only for a year. He 

 longed to have an Arboretum at Berlin, and so completely 

 was his mind set on this object that he had planned the 

 whole, though there seemed little prospect of its being 

 accomplished, but his longings and efforts and toils were 

 destined to be ultimately rewarded, for on the last day 

 of his life he received the news that the Minister of 

 Agriculture had issued a grant for the founding of a 

 Dendrological Garden. The various objects which had 

 occupied him were fast coming to a close, for only about 

 thirty hours before his death he had completed the writing 

 of what proved to be his last work, viz., " The Trees and 

 Shrubs of Ancient Greece," and their application in an 

 aesthetic point of view. Koch, whose special and profound 

 observations were directed to the origin of certain species. 



