PRIMULA CONFERENCE. 



209 



from a botanical and horticultural point of view. If they remind 

 me of one thing more than another, it is of the pleasant days I 

 used to spend more than 50 years ago at the horticultural meetings 

 in Eegent Street. I have always longed that such days might 

 come again. They were presided over by Dr. Lindley, and we 

 met the most celebrated horticulturists of the day, all ready to 

 speak on the subject that they knew best. I can conceive no more 

 useful work for the Horticultural Society than a series of Con- 

 ferences like this, and I should only be too glad to see them held 

 more frequently. I invite the fellows present to return a hearty 

 vote of thanks to Mr. Shirley Hibberd for his most interesting 

 and instructive communication. 



Mr. J. (x. Baker : I really have little right to speak on the 

 matter, because I am not in any sense a Primula specialist. I 

 endorse, in the first place, most cordially everything that Sir 

 Joseph Hooker has said about the great interest of Mr. Hibberd' s 

 paper. We are very much indebted to him for the pains he 

 has taken to work out the history of this matter. Amongst 

 the most interesting points in botany are the questions of the 

 origin of these doubtful garden plants. There are many com- 

 mon garden things of which we do not know the history, 

 and there can hardly be any more useful task for a Society like 

 this to undertake than to lend the weight of its influence to those 

 engaged in the endeavour to work out the questions, such as the 

 history of the Potato and the history of the cultivated Auricula. 

 These are really among the most interesting problems that we 

 can possibly deal with, and I have looked forward to this Con- 

 ference with very great interest, because it was likely to lead the 

 way to a solution of the matter, so far as the Auricula is con- 

 cerned. Mr. Hibberd has treated the question most fully and 

 admirably from a florist's point of view, and if in the remarks 

 I am going to make I simply dwell on those points in which 

 I differ from him, I am sure neither he nor you will suppose 

 that I wish in any way to undervalue his paper. As I came 

 up in the train I jotted down one or two points to which I felt 

 inclined to take exception. The first was this. He speaks 

 of the botanist as not recognizing any merit in his brother 

 the florist. Of course that may be only a mere casual re- 

 mark, but to that I wish to enter, as I am sure Sir Joseph 

 Hooker and all botanists here will, a most decided protest. 



