2. Finances. 



a. Income. 



The Income of 1858 amounted to £14,034 12*. \\d., 

 the whole of the permanent sources of revenue having re- 

 mained steady at the average of the last nine years. 



The state of the weather at Whitsuntide and Easter 

 caused a comparative decrease in the Receipts at the 

 Garden Gate in each of those weeks, but that decrease 

 was subsequently reduced to £100 155. Gd. on the total of 

 the year. 



In reviewing the annual results which have been ob- 

 tained since 1850, the Council feel confident that this 

 principal head of Income may be relied on as very nearly 

 approaching £9000 a year, and that in the present con- 

 dition of the Collection and Establishment, with such 

 gradual improvements as they propose to continue, the 

 Public will constantly afford their support to this extent 

 at the least. 



b. Expenditure. 



The Expenditure incurred in 1858 amounted to 

 £12,039 11*. 9d., and the Income having reached £14,034 

 12.S. lie?., there was an actual surplus of Income over Ex- 

 penditure of £1995 \s. 2d. 



Bearing in mind the Resolution which they had announced 

 to the Society in previous Reports, the Council applied 

 this surplus to the increase of the Investment Fund, by 

 the purchase of £1500 Reduced 3 per Cent. Stock, raising 

 the Reserve Fund to £4500 on the 31st of December last : 

 and finding that the state of the Banker's balance in Janu- 

 ary of the current year, after paying off the w'hole of the 

 existing liabilities, was sufficiently strong to warrant it, 

 they have since purchased a further sum of j£500 in the 

 same Stock, and they have now therefore the pleasure to 

 report that the Reserve has been raised to £5000 3 per 

 Cent. Reduced, as was stated to be their intention at the 

 last Anniversary. 



The large expenditure of former years has placed the 

 EstabUshment on such a footing, that the Council have 

 been able to reduce the ordinary cost of maintenance within 

 £12,500 per annum ; and if the present scale is adhered to, 

 the experience of 1857, Avhen the expenditure incurred was 



