MR. JOHN WEIR. 



115 



20. Turnip-shaped (Toogood). — Ready for use May 3. A 

 darker form of No. 15. 



21. White Forcing Turnip (Sutton). — Ready for use May 2. 

 Roots very even in size, with remarkably short tops. 



22. White Turnip (Watkins & Simpson). — Ready for use 

 May 7. A good stock of the old white variety. 



23. Wood's Frame (Watkins & Simpson). — A.M. May 10. 

 Ready for use May 3. Roots long scarlet, with moderate tops. 

 An excellent stock of this old favourite variety. 



24. Wood's Frame White (Watkins & Simpson). — Ready for 

 use May 7. A later and inferior white form of No. 23. 



MR. JOHN WEIR. 



On April 28, 1898, there passed away at Clydesdale Cottage, 

 New Barnet, one of the old collectors of the Royal Horticultural 

 Society. In 1861 he was sent out by the Society to Brazil, 

 where he spent two years in collecting, and proceeded thence to 

 tl\e United States of Columbia. Unfortunately no sooner had 

 he reached New Granada than he had an attack of fever, "which 

 after a few days, went off, leaving him paralysed in all his 

 limbs, from the neck downwards." This was in the autumn of 

 1864. However, he met with good friends and kind nursing, 

 and Mr. F. Stacey, Consul at Santa Martha at the time, at once 

 communicated with the Society. The Council at once directed 

 that every care and attention should be paid to Mr. Weir, and 

 that he should be sent home as soon as he was .able to bear the 

 voyage. He came home in the autumn of 1865, and it was 

 soon recognised that his case was a hopeless one. 



An appeal was made to the Fellows of the Society for sub- 

 scriptions towards a fund to provide for Mr. and Mrs. Weir. 

 This was strongly supported in the Gardeners' Chronicle, with 

 the result that a joint annuity on the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Weir 

 of a little over £50 a year was received. During his brief career 

 as a collector, Mr. Weir introduced many beautiful plants. 

 Among other things he introduced a large number of living 

 Orchids, but the cultivation of Orchids was not so well under- 

 stood then as now ; consequently fewer stand to his credit than 

 might otherwise have been the case. Lists of the plants he sent 



