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when a young man. He went to work for the Parsons nurseries 
in Flushing and assisted Robert S. Parsons in importing many 
varieties from Europe, Asia and Africa. The task of acclimating 
and caring for these trees was entrusted to Lawlor, who became 
an expert in that particular branch. At the death of Mr. Parsons 
Lawlor went into the nursery business on his own account. He 
retired about ten years ago. He is survived by his wife, three 
sons and two daughters. 
Dr. George T. Moore, professor of plant physiology at the 
Shaw School of Botany, and until recently plant physiologist at 
the Missouri Botanical Garden, has been appointed director of 
the Garden to succeed Dr. William Trelease, who has lately 
resigned. 
Dr. Marshall A. Howe represented the New York Botanical 
Garden at the one hundredth anniversary of the founding of the 
Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. He read a paper 
on “ Reef-building and land-forming seaweeds.” 
Mr. Robert Cushman Murphy, curator of the division of 
mammals and birds at The Brooklyn Institute Museum, will 
sail early in May for the southern Atlantic. South Georgia, an 
island about one thousand miles east of Cape Horn, will be the 
objective point. Mr. Murphy will also be equipped for collecting 
marine and land plants. It is hoped that his collection will 
supplement those of the few collectors who have ever visited this 
botanically little-known region. 
On Monday, April 8, excavation began for the first section of 
the laboratory building and plant houses of the Brooklyn Botanic 
Garden. The building, when completed, will be one story high, 
of brick faced with concrete, 240 feet long and 50 feet wide, with 
a maximum elevation of about 60 feet. The plans provide for 
four large laboratories for class use, three class rooms, a herbarium 
room, three library rooms, physiological and photographic dark 
rooms, a photographic operating room, a constant temperature 
room, an auditorium, thirteen private research rooms, and service 
rooms in the basement. Only about one fifth of the building will 
be constructed this year, and it is expected that this will be 
ready for occupancy before January 1, 1913. 
