THE 



Canadian Hukticli ltu kist. 



Vol. XX. 



1897. 



No. 5. 



ROBERT B. WHYTE. 



"TT HE subject of this sketch, who 

 ~ has well represented 



district No. 2 since 

 December, 1893, was 

 born at Perth in 1850. His father, J. 

 G. Whyte, came from Scotland some 

 time prior to that date, and has ever since 

 been closely identified with and deeply 

 interested in the development of the 

 agricultural and industrial interests of 

 the Ottawa Valley. J. G. Whyte has 

 always, like many Scotchmen, been a 

 student and reader. He educated his 

 children principally (Robert entirely) in 

 their own home. His system, while 

 unique, had the effect, at least, of mak- 

 ing self-reliant men with a decided lean- 

 ing towards and a love for the natural 

 sciences. 



Our friend began to take an interest 

 in gardening, and also began to make 

 a study of the flora of Ottawa in 1866. 

 This latter work he pursued very perse- 

 veringly, and his private herbarium is 

 now one of the most complete in the 

 City of Ottawa, and probably Eastern 

 Ontario. \\'ith systematic botany, Mr. 



Whyte took up the study of geology 

 and chemistry. It was, therefore, to be 

 e.xpected that he should be a prime 

 mover in the formation of a Field 

 Naturalist Club in Ottawa. The Club 

 was organized in 1S79, and is now 

 recognized as one of the leading Natural 

 History Societies of the Continent. 

 Mr. Whyte was one of its first presidents. 

 In 1875 Mr. Whyte purchased his 

 present residence in that portion of 

 Ottawa city known as Sandy Hill, and 

 with an acre of ground at his disposal, 

 seriously laid himself out to satiate his 

 gardening desires. For twenty years 

 afterwards the entire manual work of 

 the garden was done by himself; un- 

 fortunately two years ago an accident 

 incapacitated him to a certain extent, 

 and he has been since then unable to 

 do the same amount of work as in 

 former years. We sincerely trust that 

 he will soon be restored to his wonted 

 activity. Mr. Whyte's specialties have 

 been raspberries, gooseberries and cur- 

 rants and plums, of which he has had 

 large collections, although at the same 



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