February 10, 1870 ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GA1 DENEE. 



about to he established on the Annexes by H.M. Commissioners for 

 the Exhibition of 1851 (3ee Appendix I.*). The communication 

 ■which has been recently issued to the Fellows will have informed them 

 that the Council have entered into an arrangement with tho Commis- 

 sioners of a mutually beneficial character. A copy of the agreement 

 with them will be found in the Appendix. These arrangements will, the 

 Council believe, materially benefit the finances of the Society, and also 

 secure to the Fellows personally important privileges as respects the 

 terms on which they can obtain admission to the International Exhi- 

 bitions. The Commissioners also undertako to fiuish the Gardens 

 without throwing any further liability on the Society. 



3. The second subject of importance relates to the working garden 

 of the Society. For some years past the Council have seen the necessity 

 of changing their experimental garden from Chiswick to some locality 

 better suited for their operations; for the results of the cultivation 

 there, owing to its low, cold, damp position, combined with the gradual 

 increase of smoke and houses around it, are yearly becoming less 

 satisfactory, whilst the expenditure entailed by tho establishment is 

 constantly increased. Moreover, the termination of the lease will of 

 itself necessitate a change in a few years. A garden conveniently 

 situated in pure air and with good soil would enable the Council to carry 

 out their horticultural operations with increased efficiency and at re- 

 duced cost. An obstacle which would have hampered them in carry- 

 ing out this change — viz., the expense of establishing a new garden, 

 has been (as they believe) opportunely removed by a valuable bequest 

 to the Society by their late Fellow Mr. Alfred Davis, which will enable 

 the Council to effect this improvement, and at the same time preserve 

 the memory of the bequest, and of Mr. Davis's interest in the Society 

 in a permanent shape. 



4. As regards the financial condition of the Society, the Council 

 have to report that there has been a slight increase in the number of 

 Fellows, and the^number on the books is the largest on record. The 

 actual amount of subscriptions reserved for 1869 was £7193 ; in 1808 

 it was £7113; the number of transferable tickets taken out has con- 

 siderably decreased since the present monetary depression commenced. 

 The receipts from the Exhibitions of the Society were about the same 

 as of 1808, with which those last year are fairly comparable, the num- 

 ber of shows and the amount of money offered in prizes being 

 similar in the two cases. The promenades have been belter attended 

 and more productive than in the preceding year. 



5. The country shows having, both at Bury and Leicester, proved 

 to some extent remunerative, the Council anticipated that there might 

 have been a considerable Burplas from the Exhibition at so large a 

 place as Manchester. In tins they have been disappointed. The 

 returns will do no more than meet the expenses. Notwithstanding 

 this, they regard the institution of these country shows with satisfac- 

 tion. In every instance they have been productive of benefit to 

 horticulture, have spread knowledge among the people, and indirectly 

 benefited the So iaty. 



6. In their ia t report the Council mentioned that they were taking 

 measures to secure the more rapid publication of tho proceedings of 

 their different Committees. This they carried into execution, but as 

 the expense for distributing them to all the Fellows by post would be 

 too great, it was intimated that those who might desire it would receive 

 them on application to the Assistant Secretary. Accordingly at each 

 successive Tuesday meeting, copies of the proceedings of the previous 

 meetings have been distributed to those Fellows who applied for them. 

 Those who have not availed themselves of this privilege will get the 

 back copies on applying at tha office. 



7. The success of the fortnightly Fruit and Floral Meetings, hitherto 

 held on the Tuesday afternoon, bat now held on Wednesday, has been 

 so marked, and the attendance at them so numerous, that the 

 Council have been induced to make an important change in the 

 Society's working as respects its exhibitions generally. These meet- 

 ings have been chiefly made successful by the zealous co operation of 

 the Fellows, but especially of the exhibitors, who have not only bronghfc 

 to them the new and rare productions for which they desired to have 

 the Society's certificate of approval, but large and beautiful collections 

 of flowers already well established in tho estimation of horticulturists, 

 and have thus added such attractions to the meetings as really to con- 

 vert them into important floral exhibitions. Seeing that they have 

 practically assumed this position, the Council have thought it be^st to 

 combine the general exhibitions with them. This arrangement, while 

 commending itself to the exhibitors by reducing the total number of 

 floral meetings and exhibitions, will have the effect of adding to the 

 numbers of those which specially attract tho great body of theFellows 

 and the public. By distributing the prizes also over a greater number 

 of days, the exhibitions will be rendered more independent of the 

 weather, and less perilous to the Society. 



S. The Fruit and Floral Committees have worked thoroughly well, 

 and their decisions continue to be accepted by the country with con- 

 fidence. The Council have under consideration a scheme for improv- 

 ing! the mode of election to these bodies, as membership is now an 

 office much prized by the practical horticulturists. 



9. The Council also refer, with the greatest satisfaction, to the work- 

 ing of the Scientific Committee. This Committee, at the date of the 

 last annual Report to the Fellows, had made a good commencement 

 of their labours. The large attendance of its members at every mect- 



We shall publish this next weci 



ing has now given ample proof that the subjects brought before the 

 Society afford matter of sufficient interest to engage the thoughts and 

 attention of the leaders of the different branches of natural science. 



10. Another effort to promote the advance of horticulture on which 

 the Council look with satisfaction, is their collection of insects in- 

 jurious to vegetation now forming and housed in the South Kensing- 

 ton Museum. Some of the Fellows have kindly aided their efforts to 

 procure materials for this collection, and as many have it in their 

 power to contribute, the Council trust that ere long the blanks existing 

 in the case already put up may be tilled, and a large accession of 

 material procured. This is a matter in which every one possessed of a 

 field or garden has a personal interest. 



11. The Lindlcy Library has not received many accessions during 

 the past year, which is probably due to its not yet being deposited in 

 a sufficiently accessible place. The Council expect that as soon as 

 the Royal Albert Hall is completed this deficiency will "be supplied, 

 and in the meantime remind the Fellows of the Library, and again 

 invite contributions. 



12. A new Orchid-house has been erected for the reception of a fine 

 collection of cool Orchids which has been presented to the Society bv 

 Mr. Batemau. The Council feel that the thanks of the Society are 

 due to Mr. Batemau, not only for this handsome donation, but for the 

 great personal trouble and labour he voluntarily undertakes for the 

 instruction and entertainment of the Fellows at their fortnightly 

 meetings. 



13. The system of examination for young gardeners established by 

 the Society, and carried out partly with the machinery of the Society 

 of Arts, continues to work well; 



11. It will be seen from the aunexed Report cf the Chiswick Board 

 of Directors, that unusually largo collections of seeds, plants, and 

 cuttings have been distributed among tho Fellows during the past 

 and present years, and the ballot lists will show that the plants havb 

 been new and valuable : some of these were produced at Chiswick. 

 They have also been able to supply some foreign and colonial estab- 

 lishments with collections of cuttings of fruit trees ; the Horticultural 

 Society or Victoria, and of Fort Elizabeth, Natal, in particular, have 

 especially desired their thanks to be conveyed to the Society for dona- 

 tions which they regard as important. 



15. It will be seen, therefore, that amidst the varied objects to 

 which the Council have had to give their attention, they have not 

 overlooked tho importance of horticultural inter-communication with 

 the colonies. The annexed prospectus (Appendix I.), will show that 

 they have also taken the necessary steps to secure the advantage of 

 international competition for horticulture at the approaching Annual 

 Exhibition of Art and Industry. 



Terms of Arrangement Between Her Majesty's Commissioners 



for 1851 and the royal horticultural society, consequent 



upon the Annual International Exhibitions to be held at 



South Kensington in 1S71 and following Years :— 



The Society to give to the Commissioners the permission to admit 



to the Gardens all visitors to the proposed International Exhibitious; 



and the use of the Northern Arcades from the 1st April to 31st 



October, the Commissioners providing in lieu thereof, for the use of 



the Society, a covered communication on the roofs of these structures 



between the Orchard-house entrance and the Conservatory. 



All receipts for admission to the Gardens or International Exhibi- 

 tions from 1st May to 30th September taken at the entrances to be 

 the property of tho Commissioners, and out of such receipts the Com- 

 missioners to pay to the Society Id. out of each shilling so taken. 



The cost of bands for the Horticultural Shows and for the Prome- 

 nades during the iive months of the International Exhibition to be 

 defrayed by the Commissioners. 



Fellows of the Society to have the privilege of purchasing season, 

 tickets for the International Exhibitions with a reduction of one guinea 

 per ticket on the price charged to the public ; one such season ticket 

 to be obtainable for every 2-guiuea subscription paid to the Society. 



Fellows of the Society to have the privilege of purchasing tickets of 

 admission for their friends to tho Horticultural Shows and Promenades 

 at a lower price than is charged to the public at the doors, such tickets 

 carrying with them the privilege of admission to the whole of the In- 

 ternational Exhibitions. 



The whole proceeds of the sale of such tickets to the Fellows of the 

 Society for the Horticultural Shows, and Id. hi tho shilling on the 

 tiokets sold for the Promenades, to be the property of the Society. 



Two days of the week, as at present, the price of admission to the 

 Exhibitions and Gardens to the general public to be not less than 

 2s. GJ. For Horticultural Exhibition days the price of admission to 

 he regulated by the Expenses Committee. 



It is understood that the Commissioners will finish the arcades and 

 make such improvements in the Gardens as may be necessary to pro- 

 vide increased promenade space, now so much required. 



The present exclusive privilege of the use by the Fellows of such 

 portions of the Annexes as are not required iu carrying out the objects 

 of the Commissioners not to be interfered with. 



Extracts from the Reports to the Council from the 

 Chiswick Board of Directors. 



January, 1870. 

 The Orchard-house is well tilled by a large and valuable collection 

 of Peaches, Nectarines, Apricots, and other fruit-trees, some of which 



