Edward Joseph Lowe. 103 



spiral form, a rugose form, and a tasselled form were sown together, and 

 amongst the seedlings there are plants that exhibit all these charac- 

 teristics. " 



Such statements naturally excited some scepticism on the part of 

 those who did not see the evidences ; but there could be no doubt of 

 the facts, which were shown in abundance on the occasion mentioned, 

 and subsequently we believe at the Bristol Meeting of the British 

 Association and elsewhere. It may be that the researches into the 

 number and division of the chromosomes may ultimately supply the 

 explanation of these extraordinary phenomena. 



Lowe pursued his hybridisation experiments with other plants than 

 ferns. Some of the latest specimens with which he favoured the writer 

 were the result of crossing dahlias with the pollen of sunflowers 

 Whilst there was evidence of a change having taken place, as if the 

 balance of nutrition and growth had been disturbed, there was no clear 

 evidence of any intermixture of parental elements. 



The full record of Mr. Lowe's experiments is given, with many 

 illustrations, in his work entitled "Fern Growing,' 3 published in 1895, 

 a work which must be carefully consulted by all succeeding workers in 

 the same field. 



Mr. Lowe's observations and experiments were not confined to 

 plants, but were carried out with cattle, pigs, sheep, and fowls. 



Mr. Lowe was an honest enthusiast, firmly convinced of the correct- 

 ness of his own judgment ; but in spite of the very remarkable evidence 

 he brought forward, he did not in all cases succeed in convincing his 

 fellows, who entertained some doubt as to the care that had been 

 bestowed to avoid error in the performance of his experiments, and 

 consequently as to their value and the interpretation to be put upon 

 them. It is for others to repeat his experiments under more precise 

 conditions. 



In private life Mr. Lowe was a warm friend, ever ready to be of 

 service to his fellows, and fulfilling the duties of a country gentleman 

 as a Deputy-Lieutenant and magistrate. He died on the 10th of 

 March, 1900, at Shirenewton. 



M. T. M. 

 W. N. S. 



