NECROLOGY, 1905. 273 



He was an expert horticulturist and a frequent exhibitor of his 

 productions at the exhibitions of the Society. He was a member 

 of the Committee on Plants and Flowers in 1866. 



IMr. Zirngiebel was greatly interested in the carnation and was 

 one of the earliest cultivators of the new creations of the French 

 horticulturist, Alegatiere, which were introduced into the United 

 States about the year 1871. The most prominent among these 

 were the Alegatiere, red. La Purite, deep pink, and INIme. Carle, 

 white. These were the best of their class at that time but were 

 soon superseded by American raised seedlings. 



Sometime during the 70's he introduced from France several 

 new strains of pansies; the Bugnot, Cassier, and Trimardeau 

 varieties. He was also one of the first to introduce the so-called 

 French cannas and did much to popularize them, and was un- 

 doubtedly the first to import the Italian or Dammann varieties. 



All new and improved varieties of plants were of great interest 

 to him and many were tested at the earliest opportunity. A great 

 many varieties of less importance than these mentioned, but all 

 useful in their way, were first grown in the vicinity of Boston by 

 him. He took great interest in asters, also, and was a pioneer in 

 growing them in large quantities for the market. The strain 

 known as Zirngiebel's White was of his own originating. 



By Arthur H. Fewkes. 



Francis Skinner, a member of the Society since 1864, died at 

 his home in Boston, November 24, 1905. He was graduated 

 from Harvard in the Class of 1862 and was a prominent merchant 

 in Boston in the dry goods commission business. He was inter- 

 ested in the fine arts and in horticulture, and for many years was 

 a regular exhibitor of the products of his gardens and greenhouses 

 at the exhibitions of the Society. 



Edward Atkinson, a member of the Society since 1865, died 

 at his home in Brookline, Massachusetts, December 11, 1905, 

 at the age of seventy-nine. 



Mr. Atkinson was born in Brookline, February 10, 1827. He 

 w^as greatly interested in matters of social and political economy 

 and was a frequent contributor to the literature of these subjects. 



