TRANSACTIONS 



BOTANICAL SOCIETY, 



SESSION XLV. 



11^/i Novemher 1880. — William Gorrie, Esq., President, 

 ill the Chair. 



The Chairman delivered the following Valedictory 

 Address : — 



On obtaining by Selection Hardy Varieties or Fo7'ms of 

 what are usually termed Half-Hardy Plants. 



The term half-hardy is here applied to such introduced 

 exotic plants as have been found to stand our milder 

 winters without artificial protection, but which suffer more 

 or less in those of unusual severity, as well as to unintro- 

 duced kinds which are natives of such low temperatured 

 climates that their successful cultivation in Great Britain 

 may be deemed probable. The disastrous effects of the 

 last two unusually severe winters upon many of the highly 

 interesting ornamental and useful plants which have been 

 introduced to our gardens and pleasure grounds from the 

 milder temperate regions, as well as from high tropical 

 mountain ranges, have caused such losses and disappoint- 

 ment to plant cultivators, that any means by which the 

 recurrence of such disasters may be prevented or materially 

 modified must be deemed of paramount importance, and 

 that such desirable results are attainable by tlie carefully 



TRANS. BOT. SOC. VOL. XIV, L 



