86 TODMORDEN BOTANICAL SOCIETY. [Mavch, 



" You will see by the copy of Rules herewith sent, that it was 

 established in 1852, by a few botanists and gardeners of the 

 neighbourhood. From that time to the present it has made 

 steady progress, and the number of members now on the books is 

 about a hundred and fifty. It is not to be supposed that these are 

 all botanists ; the greater number of them are patrons and friends, 

 people who support the institution from a sense of its utility, as 

 a moral agent working for the common good of the neighbour- 

 hood. We have three or four clergymen, some of them active 

 students ; and many tradesmen and gentlemen give us encou- 

 ragement. 



" The Society from its commencement has maintained a high 

 moral tone, and has become the admiration of the neighbourhood. 

 No political or religious squabbles ever disgrace the meetings, 

 which are held on the first Monday in every month. The number 

 of members that attend these meetings varies from twenty to 

 forty or fifty, and the number of volumes taken out of the library 

 is on an average about a hundred. Several of the members 

 have become tolerably well acquainted with British plants, and 

 many, both young and old, take a lively interest in the pro- 

 ceedings. 



" In the summer months the Society has monthly excursiftns 

 on the Saturday immediately preceding the monthly meetings. 

 These excursions extend from four to ten or twelve miles j-ound 

 Todmorden, and are great sources of interest to those who par- 

 ticipate in them. Some account is given at the monthly 

 meeting on the Monday succeeding the excursion : such as the 

 nature of the district visited, the plants seen or gathered, and 

 the incidents or accidents that occurred inter ambulandum, etc. 

 In addition to these the Society has a grand Midsummer ex- 

 cursion, for three, four, or more days, to some distant locality. 

 In 1858 it was to Ingleton, Craven; in 1859 to the Lake dis- 

 trict of Cumberland and Westmoreland ; in ] 860 to Connemara, 

 Clifden, etc., west of Ireland. Some twenty in number joined 

 in the Craven excursion, including two clergymen ; about twelve 

 in that to the Lake district ; and four in that to Connemara. 

 The Annalist attends all the important excursions, taking notes 

 of all discoveries of any moment. 



" The annual meeting is held in the May of each year ; a good 

 and substantial dinner is provided, the Secretary reads his Report, 



