OCR Text |
Show HIS BLINDNESS MO HANDiCAP English Botanist Rose to Heights of Fame, Though Sight Failed Him In Early Life. Mr. J. G. Wilkinson, the famous blind botanist, lost his sight in his early life. "During all my painting." he said, "I had always been much attracted at-tracted by trees and plants, so I got Percy Grimshaw to take me to the Temple Newsam woods, outside Leeds, to a favorite beech tree there, and I asked him to pluck for me a leaf of It. He did so, and with my tongue I began to touch every part of this leaf, and so got Its various details ond characteristics thoroughly Into mv ripnrl till T was sure T could rpene- nlze a beech leaf anywhere. From that I began studying leaves from other trees In a similar manner, unti1 I could pick out any of them at once from the mixed lot you gave me. Now (I jliope I may say it with all modesty), there is not a leaf, stem, fruit or flower of any plant or tree In the British islands which I do not know, and should not be able to recognize rec-ognize immediately I had touched It . with my tongue, even if not with my hands." |