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1 folder containing correspondence, map, 3 photographs and report outlining the discovery of a hybrid orchid, Rhizanthera chevallierana, on Ben Lawers by David Mardon in 1979. The folder was compiled after a search for photographs of the plant taken by Mardon in 1984. Contents include, email correspondence between Clive Stace, Adele Smith and Lorna Mitchell outlining the search for photographs and compilation of the folder (2013), report and notes compiled by David K. Mardon in 1984 outlining his find, map showing where he found it, correpondence between Douglas McKean, [Paddy Woods], R.H. Roberts and David Mardon regarding the identification of the orchid, and three photographs taken by Mardon.
•Letter and exchange request / book plate c.1890? French collector looking to exchange books? Reference to an Ex-Libris Society. Reaux based at 26 Rue des Dames, Paris. Letter and Card found in RBGE copy of Matthioli’s ‘De Plantis Epitome Utilissima’ 1586 [belonged to John Hope, so presumably not received by exchange with Reaux]
The book contains numbered sessions of creating microscope slides. The plant subject is listed along with the process used to create the slides and, in many cases, the slides' recipients. According to RBGE microscopist F. Christie, looking at the notes it appears to be plant fixation and histology prior to the preparation of microscope slides for light microscopy. Each part of the plant would need to be treated differently according to how easy it was to slice. The notes refer to the whole process of preparing the slides so for example, some of the samples didn’t cut very well first time but when soaked overnight produced better sections. This information would have saved a lot of experimentation in the future if the process was to be repeated. The book was thought to By Matthew Young Orr's but his dates at RBGE do not match up with the dates of staff receiving the slides: John Anthony, Jimmy Keenan, Mr Roberts, Dr Blyth, Douglas Henderson, John Macqueen Cowan, Mr Lyle, P. Davies (Peter Davis?), Alexander Nelson, Dr Burns, Mr Green (Peter Green?), B.L. Burtt and Andrew Grierson. The book may have been created by Orr? But perhaps more likey Heather Prentice, Ella Stott, Willie Dickson or Archie McLeod? The book was an unused 1941 diary.
• Draft copy of an article titled ‘The New Plant Houses at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh’ (stored in the ‘R’ box) • History and development of the garden • Accounts, 1764-1876 (incomplete) • Staff Records (incomplete) • Probationer Gardener records (1889-1935) • Records relating to education at RBGE • Photographs • Maps • Papers relating to regional gardens – Dawyck, Benmore and Logan • Plant flowering records (phenology registers) • Plant records, including inventories, and registers of plants entering and leaving the garden
Folder containing a notebook, correspondence, a draft copy of a paper titled ‘History of Scottish Mycology’, and a reprint of ‘History of Scottish Mycology’ by John Ramsbottom, Transactions of the British Mycological Society, Vol. 46, Part 2, (1963)
•Envelope containing historical data on Paterson, including copies of newspaper articles, from Ian S. Taylor by favour of George Storrar (February 1979), mostly relating to the creation of “Paterson’s Victoria White Seedling Potato’
•Copy of letter from W.J. Hooker regarding a selection of plants from the Arctic Herbarium, put into Hooker’s hands by Capt. Parry, for publication in the appendix to Capt. Parry’s 2nd voyage (1821 – 1823).