232 ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS 



That will be the case even if there is no wide knowledge 

 of the subject. For example — I should advise those 

 who cannot undertake the study of botany at large to 

 confine themselves to two or three Natural Orders, such 

 as Crucifers, Umbellifers, Grasses, or Sedges, and in trees, 

 say Conifers. It was Mr George Bolam's discriminating 

 eye for differences in Conifers that led to the important 

 discovery of the Stone Pines by the road side in East 

 Lothian, and the establishment by our Club of the fact 

 that they are the only known examples of that tree in 

 the whole of Scotland, or in the North of England. 



The occupants of this chair, in their Annual Addresses, 

 after dealing with Club affairs generally, have often been 

 accustomed to specialize in some particular direction, 

 according to their expert knowledge of, or acquaintance 

 with, or interest in some subject. On the ])resent 

 occasion I propose to lead you in a botanical direction, 

 which, though it may be outside our actual Club 

 area, is, I submit, within the legitimate horizon of 

 any Natural History Society. Through every succeeding 

 age, the vegetable kingdom has supplied clothing and 

 aliment for the human race, and has formed the chief 

 resource of the healing art. In these later days, however, 

 the economic and medicinal properties of the British 

 indigenous flora, so well understood by our forefathers 

 and foremothers, have fallen almost entirely into disuse 

 or oblivion, having been superseded in practice by 

 metallic and mechanical products, mineral extracts, coal- 

 tar extracts, or by " active principles " easily obtainable 

 at the chemist's as powder, pill, or potion. Botanists, 

 especially those who have any acquaintance with the 

 British Flora Medica, may feel regret at this, but may at 

 the same time find some consolation in knowing that 

 there is one British plant which still holds its own, and 

 remains indispensable, in spite of all mechanical attempts 

 to improve upon or supersede it ; and another which 

 has so thoroughly established its virtues that it is in small 



