PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 17 
Differences of a like nature are even more strongly 
emphasised with the several species agreeing somewhat in 
botanical features with M. leucadendron. 
When these chemical characters have been definitely 
determined, botanical differences often appear more dis- 
tinctly marked, so that specific features are not likely to 
be again mistaken. 
The acceptance of such economic influence towards 
discrimination does not in any way detract from the value 
of specialisation in the higher branches of botanical science, 
for indeed it must rather be considered as helpful, suggest- 
ing perhaps the existence of peculiar conditions, in certain 
directions, which previously were indifferently noticed or 
not understood. 
A scientific discovery often has immediately a commercial 
value, but while the latter is, from a scientific point of 
view, subordinate to the former, yet, the study from the 
economic side often gives the necessary stimulus to effort, 
and promotes activity in the endeavour to solve the more 
scientific problems, often with the idea that the result may 
ultimately be of monetary value. Many of the facts of 
theoretical science have been the outcome of economic 
work, and have often been suggested from the practical 
side. This suggestion has been demonstrated over and 
over again during the remarkable progress which has taken 
place in specialised organic chemistry during the last fifty 
years, and many of the laws governing constitution and 
construction of organic compounds have been the outcome 
of effort directed by economic considerations. Is it not 
then to be expected that chemical laws governing the 
growth of, and the formation of plant constituents, as well 
as those which lead to special peculiarities, will be dis- 
covered ina similar way, when economic considerations 
require that the subject shall be studied with that care, 
B—May 6, 1914. 
