10 ADDRESS TO THJ] FELLOWS. 



that they must discontinue the experiment of retaining a Show 

 Garden at so great a distance from town. In the meanwhile, 

 however, the Council have resolved to maintain Chiswick as an 

 Experimental Garden until a situation more advantageous to the 

 Society can be found. 



Suggestions have been made on this subject which niay be 

 very beneficial to the Society, but are not yet ripe for adoption. 

 In the mean time, as the change of position must necessarily be 

 attended with considerable expense, it has been resolved to sell 

 the house in Regent Street, which is much larger than the 

 Society requires, now that it lias the advantage of other large 

 public rooms for its London Shows. The Council have long 

 found themselves cramped for room on the occasion of their 

 Town Exhibitions, although the Society pays what may be 

 termed an enormous rental for the house. The Council, there- 

 fore, propose to engage, at a small cost, a suitable office in the 

 neighbourhood for the transaction of the daily business of the 

 Society, hiring a public meeting room only when it is wanted. 

 The sale of the house in Eegent Street will deprive the Council 

 of space for the whole of their Library, and the large collection 

 of Original Drawings connected with it. A Sale will therefore 

 take place of such works as experience shows that the Fellows of 

 the Society seldom or never consult. 



Notwithstanding the difficulties which this state of transition 

 must inevitably produce, the Council entreat the Fellows to rely 

 upon their unceasing exertions to pi'omote the interests of the 

 Society by giving every encouragement to useful and ornamental, 

 Gardening; and exhibiting to the public from time to time what- 

 ever is most new and interesting in Horticulture. For this 

 purpose, they propose to have recourse to three such beautiful 

 Exhibitions as those which gave so much satisfaction last year at 

 St. James's Hall ; and the usual distribution of Seeds will be 

 made to those who ask for them in the spring. In addition 

 to this, it has been determined that Ballots for plants of interest 

 shall] again take place as in the year just past. Three of these 

 Ballots will be held, — two during the spring, one in the autumn, 

 be made to admit the new Two-guinea 

 the first time to a share in them. 

 By Order of the Council, 



W. B. BOOTH, Asslsiant Sccretanu 



