October  2.  19)2. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
311 
published  in  1899,  is  a  useful  book,  and  one  which  every  gardener 
ought  to  possess  and  study.  Mr.  Massee’s  latest  work  is  one 
which  must  have  necessitated  immense  care  and  patience,  as  well 
as  wide  knowledge  and  experience  of  fungi.  It  is  no  less  than 
a  descriptive  list  of  the  Agarics  of  European  countries.  The  title 
is  “  European  Fungus  Flora  :  Agaricacese.”  The  chief  other  works 
of  which  he  is  author  are  “British  Fungi;”  “British  Fungus- 
Flora  and  “  A  Monograph  of  the  Alyxogastres.”  He  is  presi¬ 
dent  of  the  Quekett  Microscopical  Club ;  chairman  of  the 
micologioa!  section  cf  the  Yorkshire  Naturalists’  T'nion;  member 
cf  the  Scottish  Cryptogamic  Society  ;  member  of  the  New  Zealand 
Institute,  and  other  naturalists’  clubs  and  societies. 
The  Royal  Horticultural  Society,  through  its  Council,  have 
recognised  the  usefulness  of  the  work  being  done  by  awarding  to 
Mr.  Massee  their  Victoria  Medal  cf  Honour  in  horticulture. 
John  T.  Bennett=Poe,  M.A.,  V.M.H. 
Horticultural  Society,  and  to  further  the  objects  of  the  com¬ 
mittee  so  far  as  horticultural  investigation  is  concerned.  It  is 
hoped  that  some  of  those  who  are  engaged  in  practical  horti¬ 
culture  may  be  willing  to  assist  the  committee  by  communicating 
the  results  obtained.  So  far,  only  a  very  small  beginning  lias 
been  made.  Observations,  to  be  useful,  have  to  be  detailed  and 
drawn  up  on  a  statistical  scale. 
Mr.  Bateson  is  a  member  of  the  Councils  of  the  Royal 
Society,  and  of  the  Zoological  Society.  The  Royal  Horticultural 
Society  lately  bestowed  on  him  the  blue  ribbon  of  horticulture — 
The  Victoria  Medal  of  Honour.  Mr.  Bateson  is  a  tall  and  well- 
proportioned  gentleman,  of  prepossessing  appearance,  and 
endowed  with  much  energy  and  force  of  character.  He  is  in  the 
prime  of  life,  and  may  look  forward  to  very  many  years  of  good 
and  useful  work,  in  which  we  trust  that  success  may  attend  him, 
and  that  many  advances  may  be  made. 
MR.  GEORGE  MASSEE,  V.M.H. ,  F.L.S.,  &c. 
It  is  our  privilege  to  introduce  to  the  readers  of  The  Journal, 
a  personality  to  whom  gardeners  and  agriculturists  owe  a  great 
debt  of  gratitude,  and  not  only  does  this  apply  to  practitioners 
at  home,  it  bears  quite  as  much  on  producers  abroad  and  in  the 
tropics.  Mr.  George  Massee  is  in  the  front  rank  of  living  micolo- 
gists  and  bacteriologists,  and  in  his  illimitable  sphere  of  research, 
he  is  convincingly  a  zealous  worker.  The  meanest  fungus  is  to 
him  possibly  more  interesting  than  the  loveliest  Orchid  or  the 
most  graceful  Briar. 
Mr.  Massee’s  first  botanical  work  was  plant-collecting  in 
Ecuador  and  Peru,  of  which  dry  countries  Charles  Darwin  writes 
so  interestingly  in  his  “Voyage  of  a  Naturalist.”  On  returning 
to  England,  Mr.  Massee  occupied  the  position  of  lecturer  on 
botany  to  the  London  University  Extension  Society,  which  office 
he  held  for  some  years.  He  later  accepted  the  newly-created  post 
of  principal  assistant  of  Cryptogams  in  the  Herbarium,  at  the 
Royal  Gardens,  Kew.  Here  he  has  remained,  and  the  greater 
portion  of  his  time,  is  occupied  in  investigating  the  plant  diseases 
from  British  and  Colonial  sources.  Quite  recently  the  plant 
diseases  caused  by  vegetable  parasites  submitted  to  the  Depart¬ 
ment  of  the  Board  of  Agriculture,  are  sent  to  Kew  for  investiga¬ 
tion. 
Mr.  Massee  has  delivered  lectures  on  phytopathology  to  the 
students  in  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  gardens  at  Chis¬ 
wick  and  at  Kew.  He  is  exceedingly  interesting  in  this  role,  and 
imparts  his  knowledge  in  a  lucid  manner,  which  is  characterised 
by  an  ever-present  accompaniment  of  quiet  humour.  His  “Text 
Book  of  Plant  Diseases  Caused  by  Cryptogamic*  Parasites” 
Irish  Notes, 
George  Massee,  V.M.H.,  F.L.S. 
The  Irish  Forestry  Excursion. 
The  first  annual  excursion  of  the  above  society  took  place  in 
fin3  weather,  at  Emo  Park,  Portarlington,  the  ancestral  home  of 
the  Earls  cf  Portarlington,  within  comparatively  easy  reach 
of  Dublin. 
Amongst  the  company  were  Dr.  Cooper  (founder  and  presi¬ 
dent),  from  London,  also  Mr.  Munford,  Mr.  Galvin,  Mount 
Talbot,  Roscommon;  Air.  J.  Jones,  Delgany ;  Air.  Alelville,  super¬ 
intendent,  Finsbury  Park,  London;  Mr.  Hodson,  Air.  J.  Carew, 
Air.  S.  Brown,  chairman  County  Council,  Naas;  Air.  Dick  (late  of 
Phoenix  Park),  who  performed  the  arduous  and  thankless  task  of 
guide;  Mr.  F.  W.  Burbidge  (curator  Trinity  College  Botanic 
Gardens),  Air.  R.  Anderson  (superintendent  Phoenix  Park),  Air. 
Gallagher  (Editor  “Farmers’  Gazette”),  Air.  Fraser,  and  in  the 
absence  of  the  secretary,  Air.  Geoghegan  made  an  excellent 
cicerone.  The  first  wood  entered  was  locally  known  as  Spire 
Wood,  and  largely  planted  was  the  well-known  Scotch  Fir  (Pinus 
sylvestris).  The  finest  specimen  4ft  from  the  ground  measured 
8ft  lOin  and  about  18ft  of  clear  stem  before  the  first  fork:  the 
trees  were  in  good  condition,  the  bark  free  from  injury.  Some 
Silver  Firs  were  tobe  seen,  but  they  evidently  did  not  thrive.  Before 
emerging  from  this  wood  there  was  an  enormous  amount  of  under¬ 
wood  that  impeded  walking,  and  suggested  a  retrograde  manage¬ 
ment  in  this  plantation,  whilst  the  ground  was  studded  with  self- 
sown  seedlings  of  Beech  and  Scots  Fir. 
The  next  visit  was  to  the  domain  proper.  The  avenue  leading 
to  the  gates  was  approached  by  rows  of  Linden  trees  (Tilia 
