PROCEEDINGS OF THE CLUB 59 



The scientific program of the evening consisted of a lecture "The Pineapple 

 Industry" by Ralph Holt Cheney. The speaker's abstract follows : 



A brief monographic survey was given to the subject of the Pineapple and Man as the 

 story of an economic plant in relation to human welfare. This golden fruit of the Guarani 

 Indians of Brazil and Paraguay was welcomed so ardently by Europeans that the keen 

 competition in its improvement by English and French hot-house growers during the 17th 

 and 18th centuries, resulted not only in the development of more desirable strains of the 

 pineapple, but also contributed a great deal to the technique of hot-house culture in general. 

 There now exist several commercial varieties and thirty mutations are known. Mutations 

 in the pineapple are occurring in asexually propagated varieties. These mutations are 

 classified as regressive, progressive, dominant, and recessive. The mutation parade in pine- 

 apple agriculture suggests that mutations in these asexually propagated forms may cause 

 a continuous and gradual change in the genotype so that ultimately a variety may develop 

 genes not originally present and may lose some genes which were present. There is evidence 

 that during asexual reproduction, there is an accumulation of recessive mutations in the 

 germ plasm which may become evident in later sexual reproduction. 



Several different botanical phases of the pineapple were summarized to illustrate the 

 application of research in pure science to this economic plant. Experimental work was cited 

 under the following categories : 



1. Fruit morphology and its relation to the economic value. 



2. Fruit phytochemistry (acids, vitamins, enzymes) in relation to its dietary signifi- 

 cance. 



3. Phycomycete and Fungi Imperfecti organisms in pineapple pathology. 



4. Pineapple physiology and iron absorption by crown adventious roots. 



5. Agricultural procedures including hormone stimulation of fruit formation and the 

 commercial production (including by-products) as practised on the Hawaiian Islands 

 of Oahu and Lanai was shown by kodachrome slides. 



Discussion followed Dr. Cheney's paper. The meeting was adjourned at 

 9 :20 and tea was served by Columbia ladies. 



Respectfully submitted, 



Frances E. Wynne 

 Recording Secretary 



Minutes of the Meeting of March 21, 1945 



The meeting was called to order by President Seaver at 3 :40 p.m. in the 

 Members Room at The New York Botanical Garden. There were twenty-four 

 members and friends present. The minutes of the preceding meeting were ap- 

 proved as read. Fifteen annual members and four associate members were 

 unanimously elected. The transfer of four annual members to associate mem- 

 bership was approved. The resignations of two members were accepted with 

 regret. 



Dr. Small read the following resolution: 

 Whereas, The Torrey Botanical Club has for over 75 years encouraged the study and 



