XXXIV. ABSTRACT OP PROCEEDINGS 



computed from the Pulkowa tables, after applying the 

 gravity correction, would represent the observed values 

 better than those of Bessel. 



Remarks were made by Mr. Knibbs and the President. 



EXHIBITS. 



Professor Liversidge exhibited plants of British Woad, 

 (Isatis tinctoria) in flower and gave an account of woad 

 and its uses, of which the following is an abstract : — Isatis 

 tinctoria is a biennial herbaceous crucifer. The flowers 

 are small, yellow, and borne in spreading clusters, or 

 panicles. The leaves are large, smooth, and lanceolate 

 or spathulate. The seeds from which the plants exhibited 

 were grown, were sown in his garden in July or August 

 last, and the plants are about 3 feet 6 inches high, and, 

 although biennial, have been in flower for about a fortnight 

 or three weeks. The seeds were obtained from Mr. Howard's 

 Woad mill at Parson Drove about 6 miles from Wisbech, on 

 August 20th, 1904, when Professor Liversidge was one of 

 a party from the British Association meeting at Cambridge, 

 visiting the woad mill and farm. The party were told that 

 there was only one other woad farm left, viz : near Hol- 

 beach in Lincolnshire, and that one of the two (Parson 

 Drove ?) was about to be relinquished and the land used 

 for other purposes. , 



Woad is a native of South Europe, and before the intro- 

 duction of indigo was very largely used as a blue dye and 

 was extensively cultivated in various parts of Europe. 

 According to Pliny, the ancient Britons used it for stain- 

 ing their skin blue. In England it was formerly cultivated 

 in several places, but it is now only grown in two places, 

 in the fen lands of Lincolnshire, and Cambridgeshire. It 

 requires very good soil and the land fetches £10 an acre 

 rent, and from £150 to £200 freehold. The seeds are sown 

 in March or April, and the first crop of leaves is gathered 



