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serious disease of the London Plane has been reported from Philadelphia and 

 elsewhere (see Plant Disease Reporter 24:205, 1940), but so far not in 

 Manhattan, though it is said to have occurred on Staten Island. For this 

 reason, or until this disease is better known or the danger from it is past, 

 it is better to go slowly in the planting of London Planes in the Metropolitan 

 area. 



In London this tree is of great importance to city dwellers. Large trees, 

 well over a century in age, are common, especially in the Parks and city 

 squares, as in the Bloomsbury Section. Here, in the midst of the London 

 haze, soot, and smoke, the tree flourishes. 



The origin of the London Plane continues to be a mystery. Since it 

 possesses characters which in some respects seem to be midway between 

 those of the Oriental Plane {Platamis orientalis) and the American Syca- 

 more or Buttonball {P. occidcntaUs), Prof. A. Henry has brought forward 

 a convincing argument that it is a chance hybrid of these two species, that 

 originated in the Oxford Botanic Garden before the year 1700. Among other 

 reasons for this belief is the fact that these two species were growing 

 together in the Oxford Garden before 1700; that it has never been found in 

 a wild state, and that its seedlings show the great variation characteristic 

 of seedlings of an Fl hybrid. The speaker told of an effort now being made 

 by the Brooklyn Botanic Garden to test this theory of the hybrid origin 

 of the tree by hand pollinating the Oriental Plane tree at the Garden 

 with pollen from native Sycamores in Connecticut. 



The progress of the chestnut hybridization at the plantation at Hamden, 

 Conn., was also outlined. Crossing of disease resistant Japanese chestnut 

 with American chestnut, begun in 1930, has developed a fine timber type 

 of chestnut of remarkably rapid growth, but this tree is not entirely disease 

 resistant, although more so than its American parent. On this account, three 

 years ago, the Japanese-American trees were crossed again with the most 

 disease-resistant Chinese trees on the plantation, and at present about 150 

 trees with this pedigree are now growing there. Another method has been 

 to cross the Japanese-American again with very resistant Japanese. A third 

 is to breed together the Japanese-American hybrids. The crossing of good 

 Chinese and American stock is also well under way and is being carried 

 on in directions similar to those outlined for the Japanese-American hybrids. 

 There are many other leads which are being followed, but these seem to be 

 the most important. A review of last year's work appears in the December 

 number of the Torrey Bulletin. 



Respectfully submitted, 



Clyde Chandler 

 Recording Secretary 



Minutes of the Meeting of December 18, 1940 

 The meeting of the Torrey Botanical Club held at the New York 

 Botanical Garden on Wednesday, December 18, 1940, was called 

 to order by Dr. B. O. Dodge, at 3 :30 P.M. 



