PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS 
TO THE LINCOLNSHIRE NATURALISTS’ UNION: 
DELIVERED AT LINCOLN, 24TH NOVEMBER 1898. 
: Rev. WILLIAM FOWLER, M.A., 
Vicar of Liversedge, Yorkshire; President of the Lincolnshire Naturalists’ Union, 1508. 
Ir I take Lincolnshire Botany as my subject for to-day, it is not 
that I either undervalue or am uninterested in other branches of 
natural history.. In a union such as ours, some are specially 
interested in the geology, others in the zoology, others again in 
the botany of-our county ; and it is well that it is so, for (even 
if we could give up all our time to the study.of nature) so vast 
is the subject that we should be utterly unable to master it. 
Most of us, however, if not all, have daily work to do in con- 
nection with our profession, or trade, as the case may be, and 
it is only as a relaxation that we can either study natural history 
at our homes or collect objects for study on those excursions 
into the country, which are so health-giving, so instructive, and 
so enjoyable. There are very few who can devote more than 
a small portion of time to any one branch of natural history, to 
say nothing of other branches. Still, it is not always those who 
have the most leisure who do the greatest amount of work. 
Perhaps the very opposite is nearer the truth. In my experience 
excellent work has been done by many before or after business 
hours. Without any neglect of the duties pertaining to their 
daily occupation, they have found interest and pleasure in 
natural history studies, and have, in addition, greatly increased 
cnowledge, both in their own department and in 
It is one of the great advantages of a union 
such as ours that, whatever branch it be to which we give our 
chief attention, we can receive help from, and give help to, 
those whose special interest is in other branches. If the 
geologists disinter from the rocks remains of vegetable and 
animal life, botanists and zoologists are helpful to them in 
_ deciding to what class, or order, or genus those remains belong. 
If the botanists find that certain plants will only grow on 
i ists are of assistance to them in 
plants, the botanists can be of service to them in pointing out 
to them those plants, or informing them where they may be 
August 1899. 
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