IlEPORT OF THE COUNCIL, MAY 1, 1851. 201 



present little known, which runs round the soutli-east and south 

 sides of the Garden, near the boundary fence. This walk they 

 have caused to be completely gravelled, and furnished with seats 

 at short intervals, and they believe it will now become a favourite 

 resort of visitors. 



In carrying out the latter operation, it became necessary to 

 determine what should be the future destiny of a tliicket of trees, 

 spoken of in former Reports under the name of the " Miscel- 

 laneous Fruit Quarter." The Committee found the collection 

 to consist, for the most part, of duplicate trees, or of varieties 

 of no value, such as cherry-plums, horse chesnuts, quinces, 

 elder bushes, and half-wild fruit-bearing plants, through which 

 the walk just mentioned passed in its course to the north 

 and eastward till it joined the large iron conservatory. In the 

 opinion of the Committee this place required to be laid out upon 

 a wholly diiferent plan. They therefore directed the greater 

 part of the trees to be felled, and the bushes to be removed. It 

 having been found that on this spot gravel, of wliich large quan- 

 tities would be required for the alterations contemplated by 

 the Committee, could be obtained in abundance, a favourable 

 opportunity appeared to present itself of taking advantage of the 

 inequalities of the ground that would necessarily result from 

 digging gravel to form a flower-garden with an irregular surface. 

 This was accordingly decided upon ; the garden has been com- 

 pleted, and will, in the present year, in the month of June, be 

 the scene of an Exhibition of American plants by Mr. Hosea 

 Waterer, of Knap Hill, to which Fellows of the Society will 

 have access daily, except Sundays, without payment ; and all 

 other persons upon the presentation of tickets, sold in Regent- 

 street and the Garden at 1*. each. 



The Garden Committee have also taken into consideration the 

 importance of keeping the mowed ground in sucii a state of 

 order as would render it at all times fit for the inspection of 

 visitors of all ranks. The practice had hitherto been to mow the 

 lawn carefully and constantly during the season fjom May to 

 August, at which time the Garden is most frequented by visiters ; 

 then to mow it less carefully till the month of September, and 

 to allow it to remain unmown during the winter and early 

 spring. This practice has arisen in part from motives of 

 economy, and in part from an opinion that a winter's rest would 

 enable the turf better to withstand the effects of trampling by 

 the large number of visiters to the Exhibitions in June and July. 

 The Garden Committee are of opinion that this rest is unneces- 

 sary, and injurious to the appearance of the Garden. They 

 tlierefore resolved upon the special employment of four labouring 

 men, as mowers, all the year round ; and, in consideration of this 



