debts and assets, and tlie past and present management of the 

 Society." This Committee reported that the debts of the 

 Society amounted to 19,750/., (they eventually proved to amount 

 to about 500/. more, or 20,243/.) of which 14,200/. were on 

 bond, and they did not estimate the property of the Society 

 higher than 16,500/., exclusive of the annual subscriptions about 

 to fall clue. They found that the cost of the formation and 

 annual expense of the Garden for the eight years from 1822 

 to 1830 had exceeded the amount of all separate subscriptions 

 and sources of Garden Ecvenue, of whatever kind, by the large 

 sum of nearly 29,000/. They strongly condemned the practice 

 of keeping the Society at large in ignorance of its financial 

 position, which they found to have prevailed from October, 1824, 

 and expressed an unfavourable opinion of the manner in which 

 the Society had been otherwise conducted. But the Committee 

 also stated " that notwithstanding they have felt themselves 

 obhged to animadvert upon various instances of mismanage- 

 ment of the affairs of the Society, yet it is in evidence before 

 tliem that many objects of the Society have been substantially 

 fulfilled ; that the foreign missions for collecting plants, and 

 more especially that of Mr. Douglas, have been eminently bene- 

 ficial ; that the Transactions contain a body of valuable infor- 

 mation upon various subjects of Horticultural interest, and have 

 been published and distributed to the members without exhaust- 

 ing in any material degree the funds of the Society ; that on the 

 merits of the orchard, as an important and useful experiment, 

 there is not the smallest doubt. The Committee are sensible 

 that these results could not have been attained witliout con- 

 tinued exertion and superintendence, and they are satisfied that 



