West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Tuesday 22 July 1902, page 3


MUELLER BOTANIC SOCIETY. ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the Mueller Bo tanic Society was heold at the Technical School last evening, when Dr. Tratman presided over a large attendance of mem bers. Annual Report. The annual report of the council was as follows: -Your council have much pleasure in presenting the fifth annual eoport of the Society, covering the year ended Juneo 30, 190". The membership of the Society now totals 120, consisting of 114 ordinary and six honorary mem bhers.' Nine monthly meetings were held during the year, with invariably a good attendance of members. Five council meetings were also held. The following subjects were dealt with at the monthly meetings :--October 1-Notes on the time or flowering of West Australian plants (Dr. Tratmnan). Notes on the 131 tricularia (Mr. A. Purdic). December 9 -Notes on a noew orchid (Mr. C. R. P. Andrews). Partial reports of sub-com mitteos, viz., on Stylicaeae (Mr. Andrews and Dr. Tratman), on the Orchideae (Mr. Hursthouse). April 14—Photo graphs of the forest trees of W.A. (Mr. B. H. Woodward). Notes on the vari ous meth'ods of preserving specimens (Mr. A. Purdie). .A practical illustration of the methods of sand-drying (Mr. E. H. Hursthouse). June 9-sLectuie on the Epacrideae (Mr. A. Purdie). An exhibition of botanical specimens, held in September last, was a new de parture takes by the Society, with the object of creating a stronger interest among the members, and to demonstrate the natural beauties of local wild flowers with their suitability for decorating pur poses. Prizes : were offered for the best decorated dinner-tables, .he first being awarded to Miss Babington, and the second to Miss Cowan. There were seven competitors. Sir Arthur Lawley, who has taken a strong interest in the Society, presided, and delivered an in teresting address. Lady Lawley kindly acted as sole judge of the table decorat ing. It must be assumed from the splen did collection of specimens exhibited, and -the amount of interest displayed by the large number present, that the object of the Society was, to a considerable ex tent, successful. It is the intention of the council to make the exhibition an annual one: We are pleased to state that, at the exhibition, we had the plea sure of the company of Doctors Diels and Pritzel, two eminent German botan ists. Both expressed themselves as greatly delighted at the great display of some of the specimens of W.A. flora. The following flower excursions were ar ranged last season:-October. 12. to Cannington; October 21, to Serpentine. During the year the. following sub committees were appointed for the purpose of collecting specimens:--Pro teaecae-Messrs. Andrews, Hursthouse, 'and Hendry. Epacrideae--Drs. Trat man and Morrison and Mr. A. Purdie. Myrtaceae-Messrs. E. J. Bickford, J. R. Allen, and J, A. Peart. As already mentioned, partial reports of sub-committees of last year have been presented to the members. During the year your council decided on the removal of the library herbarium .from thy rooms of the Department of Agrisulture to the Technical School, where they were placed by the courtesy of the In spector-General. Mainly owing to the want of funds your council has been un able to continue to issue monthly jour nals, only one having been issued during the yedr; but, it is intended to isseu a quarterly journal in the future. The one journal issued contained the follow ing:-Plant forms and climate of W.A. (Dr. Diels). - Report of sub-committee on onchidene. Notes on two new spe cies of plants indigenous to W.A. (isr. W. V. Fitzgerald). Notes on the sty lidieae (M. C. R. P. Andrews). Notes on new species and species recorded (Mr. C. R. P. Andrews). We desire to again express our thanks to the Government for their continuous support, and for the subsidy granted to the Society, which has enabled us to carry out the objects committed to us. Our gratitude is also I due to the vearious Governments and kin dred societies of the sister States for a supply of pamphlets and monthly .jour nals; to the Department of Agriculture for the use of rooms; and to the daily Press for assistance rendered the Society in giving publicity to reports, etc. The financial statement shows the receipts for the year to be £110 12s. 3d., a~d the expenditure £84 2s. 4d., leaving a credit balance 'of £26 9s. lid. The outstanding subscriptions amount to over £20. The council feel sure that it is only necessary to draw the attention of members to this, to ensure the immediate payment of these amounts. The report was adopted . Election of Officers. The following office-bearers were elect ed for the ensuing year:-Patron, Sir Arthur Lawley; president, Dr. Trat man; vice-presidents. Mr. E. W. Hurst house and Dr. A. Morrison; council, Messrs. C. R. P. Andrews. M.A., R. Al len, M.A., B.S., E. J. Bickford, F.L.S., Bruce Hendry, R. D. Hardey, Alex. Purdie. M.A.. and Dr. Wilkinson; libra rian, Mr. J. B. Allen, B.A., B.Sc.; audi tors. Messrs. J. W. Langsford and R. H. Newman. Paper. Mr. C. R. P. Andrews read a paper on "The Proteaecae."