PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 5 



Oxford Museum, has been received there, together with his 

 books and notes on Arachnida, and placed in the charge of 

 the Hope Professor of Zoology. 



BOTANY AND AGRICULTURE. 



In the present state of our food supply our deficiencies 

 in combating insect and other pests which attack our crops 

 are brought home to us, and it behoves us to use our best 

 endeavours to overcome them. I have lately heard a great 

 deal about the strict inspection of orchards and crops in 

 Australia, and how any trace of blight or other pest has 

 immediately to be stamped out by the farmer by the destruc- 

 tion of the tree or orchard, if no other means are successful. 

 I fear that not many of our orchards would be left standing 

 were this vigorous system adopted here, as they are usually 

 left more or less to themselves, and but little is done in the way 

 of pruning and general treatment. Nevertheless we often 

 get very large crops, as last year. The gooseberry mildew 

 seems to have somewhat improved ; but the recently imported 

 potato-wart disease has spread. Potato spraying for the 

 old potato disease has been intensively carried out ; and the 

 balance of evidence seems to be in favour of this practice, 

 though personally I have had the best crop I have had for 

 years without any spraying at all. The effects of spraying 

 are somewhat transitory, so that the process should be 

 repeated two or three times during growth. Some interesting 

 experiments conducted for 30 years have proved that some 

 fermentation organisms (doubtless successive generations) 

 can be kept alive artificially for that period by the employ- 

 ment of a solution of cane-sugar and other nutrient media 

 in a Pasteur flask. Higher organisms in the shape of cater- 

 pillars, chiefly those of the winter moth ( Cheimatobia brumata), 

 have done harm to apple and other trees in some districts 

 by stripping them of their leaves. This is usually guarded 

 against by a greased band round the trunk to stop the ascent 

 of the wingless female moth when egg-laying. Some Scotch 



