MAY 1, 1860. 187 



forward the Society's part of the execution with the utmost 

 possible speed, and measures have been already taken to admit 

 Fellows and their friends to inspect the progress of the works. 



The object of first necessity in connection with the Garden 

 was an office and general entrance to the ground, where the 

 business of the Society could be carried on, and the meetings, 

 whether monthly, or those for exhibitions of the Floral and Fruit 

 Committees, could be held in a manner worthy of the Society. 

 A single room in a small house near Trafalgar Square was 

 obviously altogether unsuited to any purpose of the Society in its 

 new position. Plans of such a building to form the principal 

 entrance to the Garden, prepared by Captain Fowke, E.E„ have 

 been accepted, and the building is now rising rapidly. From the 

 plans and elevations suspended in an adjoining room, the Society 

 will be able to see how beautiful an edifice this will become. 

 And here the Council desire to give public expression to their 

 sense of the very valuable assistance that has been rendered the 

 Society by that most intelligent officer ; with whom they must 

 also associate Mr. Henry Cole, C.B., and Mr. Redgrave, R.A., 

 the two principal officers of the Department of Science and Art. 



The arrangements for the great Conservatory demand such long 

 and serious consideration, that no report can as yet be made on 

 that subject ; but the Council are promised the detailed plans 

 and specifications by the 10th May; and they hope and believe 

 that in the absence of unforeseen obstacles, the Garden will be for 



ine most part complete 



The Council have always expected that works of high art, 

 suitable to garden embellishment, would be offered to the Society 

 as soon as it was known that a place worthy of them was ready to 

 receive them. That expectation has already begun to be realised, 

 A group of sculpture, commemorative of the Great Exhibition of 

 1851, and costing above 6000?,, has been most liberally placed 

 at the disposal of the Society by the Committee entrusted with 

 its execution, and will form a noble object at the head of the 

 great basin on the upper level of the Garden, the Society having 

 only to pay for such alterations as are necessary in order to make 

 it harmonise with the surrounding objects. 



An account of the money received and expended on the Ken- 

 sington Gore account, up to the 31st of March, will be found in 



