February 24, 1863. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



151 



and such as -would leave a favourable impression on the numerous 

 visitors from abroad. A statement is given in the appendix, 

 showing the amounts received and the expenses disbursed at 

 these shows, so far as the latter can be separated from the 

 general expenses of the establishment. 



The Council have also to report favourably on a more im- 

 portant portion of the financial resources of the Society — viz., 

 that drawn from the subscriptions. The following comparative 

 statement of the number of Fellows, and their rates of payment, 

 as at 31st December, 1861, and 31st December, 1862, shows the 

 increase during the course of the year — viz., 





As at 31st Dec, 

 1661. 



As at 31st Dec, 

 1S62. 









p . 



to a 



IS S 



P. 





716 

 915 



334 

 555 



10 



25 



6 



215 



7 



16 



912 



1307 



336 



587 



3 

 9 



6 



80 





„ „ 2 „ 



„ i „ 



Fellows who have compouuded by 



„ „ 40 „ 







2520 

 256 



256 



3215 

 98 



98 





2776 



3313 

 2776 





537 













The above table shows the actual state of matters each year, 

 at 31st December. But on tailing deaths and resignations into 

 account, it appears that 633 new Fellows have joined the Society 

 since 31st December, 1861, and that there have been 55 deaths, 

 and 41 resignations. 



It will be seen from the above table that the recommendation 

 of the Council in last year's report, that Fellows who paid 

 retrospectively should change their retrospective payment into 

 one in advance, has been well responded to — the number of 

 retrospective subscribers having been reduced from 256 to 98. 

 Many of those who are still in this position have no doubt 

 continued so from inadvertence, and it is hoped that in another 

 year the number may be still further reduced. 



Through the consideration of the Fellows too, the transference 

 of the period of payment from the 1st of May to 1st of January 

 has been all but unanimously carried into effect. 



As regards the expenditure, the unfinished state of the garden, 

 together with the exceptional nature of the year, added to the 

 fact that the previous season was equally exceptional from its 

 being the opening year of the reconstituted Society, and from 

 its only extending over eight instead of twelve months, prevent 

 the receipts and expenditure of the two years being contrasted 

 with each other, and the Council must confine themselves to 

 treating the expenditure of each by itself. 



The expenses of the publications of the Society are large, 

 owing to the considerable number of Fellows ; but the informa- 

 tion contained in them is (the Council have every reason to 

 believe) considered valuable by the Fellows at large. The 

 Council, however, with the view of making it contribute to 

 its own support, have resolved to allow advertisements to be 

 received on horticultural and Bcientifio subjects. 



Mr. Weir, the plant-collector in South Brazil, has examined 

 and reported on a district not, much known, and when last heard 

 from was on his way to explore new ground in the interior. 

 Mr. Cooper, the plant-collector in South Africa, was sent out as 

 an explorer at the private charges of Mr. Wilson Saunders, the 

 Treasurer of the Society, who admitted it to a share of Mr. 

 Cooper's collections on terms so liberal as to be almost gratuitous. 

 Mr. Cooper explored the district of the Drachenberg Mountains, 

 lying to the south-west of Natal, and found it, although in many 

 parts barren, to contain a considerable number of plants of 

 interest to the botanist, and some of much beauty, well worthy 

 the attention of the horticulturist. The product of the labours 

 of both these collectors have either already been distributed, or 

 are about to be distributed among the Fellows by ballot. 



The expenses of Chiswick have this year amounted to £2354, 

 from which a sum of £435 may be deducted, which has been 

 received for fruit sold and reimbursement of garden charges. 



Upwards of 50,000 bedding-out plants have been reared at 

 Chiswick last year for use at South Kensington. Further, it is 

 to be noted that the Fellows have received large quantities 

 (upwards of 3000 packages) of cuttings of Vines and other fruit- 

 trees from this garden ; that an unrivalled collection of fruit- 

 trees is there maintained for the comparison and testing of all 

 kinds of fruits ; that the experiments and trials of the Fruit and 

 Floral Committees are conducted there, and a large portion 

 of the flower-seeds grown which are distributed amongst the 

 FellowB. 2610 packets of valuable seeds, 11,000 plants, and 

 166 lots of bulbs have been distributed from these or other 

 sources during the past year. In addition there have been 

 distributed 1500 packages of seeds of vegetables, and a like 

 number of packages of flower seeds. 



The expenses of the garden at South Kensington have amounted 

 to £6063. The details of which this is composed will be found 

 in the appendix. 



The expenses for promenades and exhibitions have largely 

 repaid themselves, besides affording much gratification to the 

 Fellows, and the Council have resolved to continue the pro- 

 menades during the present season, twice a-week from 16th May 

 to 1st August. 



The Council have the satisfaction of informing the Fellows 

 that the Commissioners of 1851, through the Expenses Committee, 

 with whom rests on their behalf the control and regulation of 

 the expenses of the Society, in the most liberal manner authorised 

 the expenditure of a considerable amount of the receipts in the 

 execution of works which strictly speaking belong to capital— a 

 liberality which in the present year, when there is a surplus to 

 the half of which the Commissioners are entitled as their share of 

 profit, is equivalent to themselves paying the half of these expenses. 



The Commissioners of 1851 have throughout shown the 

 utmost desire to promote in every way within their power the 

 completion of the garden. It is to them that the Society owes 

 the beautiful facade of the refreshment-room. They have paved 

 the upper arcades during the season, and lent, as above men- 

 tioned, valuable assistance towards the completion of the garden, 

 its clothing and decoration — works which the Council have felt 

 to be of pressing importance. As regards the decoration of the 

 garden, the Council have been much assisted by the liberality of 

 the Fellows, who have allowed their subscriptions, originally 

 intended for the French fountains, to be applied in the purchase 

 of works of art for the garden. 



As regards the planting of the garden, the Council have, they 

 trust, effected considerable improvements in it by the introduc- 

 tion of clumps of trees and shrubs. They have also provided a 

 large supply of bulbs for its spring decoration, and they have 

 to acknowledge the assistance received by presents from Her 

 Majesty, and some of the Fellows. 



A great deal, no doubt, still remains to be done, but so far as 

 these objects are concerned, the work already executed justifies 

 the Council in looking at their progress with satisfaction. It is 

 otherwise, however, with a part of the garden less under their 

 control ; a portion of the arcades still remains unfinished, and in 

 a measure neutralises the beneficial effects of other improvements. 

 The completion of the arcades belongs to the Commissioners 

 of 1851, and notwithstanding the reluctance which the Council 

 have naturally felt to press a body who had dealt with them so 

 liberally, they have considered themselves called upon to make a 

 most urgent appeal to the Commissioners on this subject. 



There still remain structural works pressing for completion 

 which belong to the Society to execute ; such as the council- 

 room portico, steps in the middle walk, a western entrance, &c. 



The Council regret to have to announce the retirement of 

 Dr. Lindley from the Secretaryship, which he has held so long 

 with honour to himself and benefit to the Society. Last year he 

 tendered his resignation, but was induced to withdraw it at the 

 solicitation of the Council, on the ground that as he had 

 supported the Society during its period of depression, so he 

 should remain as one of its officials until the next summer 

 (1862) should have crowned his labours with success. He 

 has now repeated his resignation, and the Council have most 

 reluctantly felt bound to comply with his wish, and accept it. 

 He has been for forty-one years an officer of the Society, and 

 during that period, to use his own words, he " has endeavoured 

 to the best of his ability to promote its true interests as a great 

 English association for the advancement of horticultural know- 

 ledge, until, through many changes and some adversity, it has 

 at length gained a position of high eminence, and may be 

 regarded as standing on a secure foundation." 



