4 EEPOirr OF THE COUNCIL, 



more in the nature of a possession to be proud of than of a 

 property of real utility to the Fellows, for, in the opinion of 

 the officers of the Society, scarcely more than twenty Fellows 

 ever consulted it during the year. The sale has been entrusted 

 to Messrs. Sotheby and Co., and commences this day. 



It is with no little satisfaction that the Council have to add 



general approbation of the Society, if an opinion is to he formed 

 from the number of vfithdrawals that have been notified since the 

 issue of the circular letter of January S9th. 

 The number of withdrawals between 



January 1st and April 1st, 1855, was 8 



1859 „ 12 



While divesting the Garden of its ornamental character, and 

 reducing it to one of mere utility, abandoning the Exhibitions 

 there, and quitting the House in Regent Street, the Council trust 

 essentially to improve the real utility of the Society. For 

 meetings at the Garden, and at Regent Street, they have 

 substituted Exhibitions in St. James's Hall ; and by Ballots for 

 Plants, and more extensive distributions than formerly both of 

 Plants and Seeds, they expect that the Fellows will receive a more 

 substantial return than hitherto for their subscriptions. As to 

 the Ballots for Plants, which seem calculated to render the dis- 

 tributions more satisfactory than heretofore, and are evidently 

 popular, nearly 400 names having been entered for that held on 

 the 15th ult, the Council regard them as being quite experi- 

 mental ; they fully expect that experience will show how to render 

 them very much more useful, and of that experience, as well as of 

 any suggestions on the subject, they are prepared at once to take 

 advantage. 



In the Appendix to this Report will be found the usual account- 

 ant's details of Income and Expenditure, together with the aimual 

 Balance-sheet, and estimates for the coming year. A reference 

 to these documents will show that while the ordinary Expenditure 

 for 1858-9 has been about 120^. below ita estimate, the ordinary 

 income for the same period fell short of the estimate stated in 

 the last annual report ; still it was upwards of 400L in excess 

 of the previous year. And such will be the effect of the 



