190 



REPORT OF THE COUNCIL, 



Council that the value of the prizes no longer corresponded 

 sufficiently with the expenses incurred by Exhibitors ; that the 

 difference in value among the prizes was now too great, there 

 being much less difference in the merits of competitors than 

 formerly existed, and that a better graduated scale of prizes was 

 required. The Committee appointed to consider these and 

 similar representations was especially instructed to make such 

 arrangements as should appear most conducive to the general 

 interests of Horticulture. 



The Committee recommended that the scale of prizes should 

 be better graduated, and proposed the following plan. 



IN FUTUKE 



LG 1.— First Large Gold Medal 



LG 2.— Second Large Gold Medal 



GK 1.— First Gold Knightian Medal 10 



GK 2.— Second Gold Knightian Meilal 



GB 1.— First Gold Banksian Medal . 



GB 2.- — Second Gold Banksian Medal 



SG. — SUver GUt Medal 



LS. — Large Silver Medal 



SK. —SUver Knightian Medal 



SB. ^-SUver Banksian Medal 



C 1. —First Certificate . 



C 2. — Second Certificate . 



INSTEAD OP 



LG. Large Gold Medal . 

 GK. Gold Knightian Medal 

 GB. Gold Banksian Medal 



15 



10 



43 



thus raising the whole value of the scale from 43i. to 68Z. 5s. 0(Z. 



But as this change has the effect of largely increasing the 

 amount that may be awarded in any class, it became necessary 

 to alter the classes themselves, omitting some articles of exhi- 

 bition altogether, so as to provide by such exclusion the funds 

 required for the augmentation of the prizes in other classes. 

 The Committee believe that this has been so effected that the 

 amount for which the Society is made liable for Medals, &c., in 

 1854 is not essentially different from that of 1853. 



The number of tickets which each Fellow should be privileged 

 to purchase at 3s. M. has been the subject of discussion on former 

 occasions. Originally it was twenty-four; in 1851, the year of 

 the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park, it was increased to forty- 

 eight; and the same number was allowed in 1852 and 1853. 

 It has been suggested that the number should be even unlimited. 

 Experience has however shown, that even forty-eight is a larger 

 issue than is advantageous financially. 



