146 



REPORT OF THE COUNCIL, 



placed, availed themselves of plans prepared by Mr. Glendinning, 

 to whom the execution of the groundwork and planting was also 

 intrusted. The Council trust that this operation will be found 

 to have added greatly to the convenience of visitors to the 

 Garden as well as to have improved its appearance. In order to 

 render these alterations useful to the Exhibitors, a yard expressly 

 for the purpose of receiving their waggons and carts has also 

 been formed out of a portion of the Orchard, in the neighbour- 

 hood of the tents. 



The charge to the Society of such part of these works as had been 

 completed when the accounts were made up, was 161/. 15s. lOd. ; 

 the remainder of the expense will come into the accounts of the 

 current year. 



The necessity of providing additional accommodation for the 

 Exhibitors having induced the Garden Committee to inquire 

 into the state of the Orchard itself, they arrived at the conclu- 

 sion that the whole of this important part of the Garden demanded 

 immediate reconstruction. The object of ascertaining the quality 

 of the varieties of hardy fruit-trees, and of determining the 

 identity of the multitudes of names under which those varieties 

 have been known, had been in a great measure accomplished and 

 embodied in the Fruit Catalogue of the Society. The Garden 

 Committee therefore felt that the original purpose of the Orchard 

 had been substantially attained ; and that it would be desirable 

 to reconstruct it with a view to other applications, such as the 

 trial of new kinds of fruit-trees, and the exemplification of the 

 best method of Orchard pruning, training, and management. 

 They also found that the trees of Plums and Cherries were so 

 decayed that it had become indispensable that they should be at 

 once removed. The Council, concurring in these views, autho- 

 rized the execution of the work proposed by the Garden Com- 

 mittee, and the accounts of the present year include a charge of 

 70/. 2s. 3d. on this head. The above two sums, making together 

 231/. ISs. Id., are entered in the balance-sheet under the head 

 of New Works at the Garden. 



Exhibitions. 



The Exhibitions of 1849 were more numerously attended than 

 those of 1848. 



The number of tickets issued was . . 18,517 

 ,, ,, presented at the gates 17,624 



Showing that no fewer than . . . 893 tickets 

 were taken more than were used. This was an increase of 403 

 in the issue of tickets. As regards the financial result of the 

 meetings, the Council have to report that the receipts of 1849 



