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HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



plants and fruits are freely sent tliem to adjudicate upon, and 

 the value of different kinds of fruits and of florists' flowers are 

 decided upon with, authority, by growing them at Chiswick, and 

 obtaining upon them the verdict of these Committees, which are 

 composed, not solely of Fellows of the Society, but of the most 

 competent men that can be fomid, whether within or without 

 its precincts. The results of their dehberations appear in the 

 " Proceedings of the Society," the publication of wliicli was now 

 resumed, and much valuable matter, clearing up the synonymy 

 of nurserjonen and seedsmen's names, and authoritatively settling 

 the merit of rival kinds, is to be found in its pages. Her 

 Majesty also graciously signified her Eoyal pleasure that the 

 Society should henceforth be designated the Eoyal Horticultural 

 Society. Fellows crowded in. No less than 1500 new members 

 joined the Society before His Eoyal Highness the Prince Consort 

 had occupied the Presidential chair for two years. The Press 

 had pronounced favourably of the phcenix rising from her ashes. 

 The debentures were anxiously sought for ; and a new Charter, 

 enlarging the privileges of the Society, and confirming its 

 engagements with the Commissioners, was obtained. A copy of 

 this -will be found in the Appendix. 



The expense of the works, however, had exceeded the 

 estimates. A large portion of the means wliich enabled the 

 Society to expend more than it originally contemplated was 

 no doubt derived from borrowed money, the Society having 

 borrowed first 40,000/., and then an additional sum of 10,000/. 

 on debentures at an interest of 5 per cent., and one admission 

 to the Garden for every 100/. lent, a rate of interest, however, 

 which the improvement in the value of the security soon 



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