Xxxvi PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



cable settlement of the question would greatly promote fa- 

 vourable arrangements by the Society with the Commissioners 

 for the use of the Gardens, or such portion of them, and 

 of the adjoining premises, as would not be required for public 

 purposes. 



The fifth volume of the Journal has been completed during the 

 past year. Amongst the papers may be mentioned Notes by Dr. 

 Masters, F.R.S., on " Root Hairs and Boot Growth," and a treatise 

 "On the Genus Tulipa," by H. J. Elwes, Esq. The reports of 

 Chiswick trials have included Endives, Cabbages, double-flowered 

 Ivy-leaved Pelargoniums, Abutilons, and Gloxinias. 



The desire expressed by the Council in their last annual report, 

 that correspondence should be opened with foreign and colonial 

 horticulturists, has been gratified by the receipt of bulbs from 

 Dr. Regel of Sc. Petersburg, of many interesting Caucasian and 

 Central Asian Plants, and seeds from various contributors at the 

 Cape, in America, Australia, and Yan Dieman's Land, seedlings 

 from many of which will shortly be available for distribution 

 amongst the Fellows. 



The trials by the Floral and Fruit Committees at Chiswick 

 have been continued as usual, but owing to the unfavourable 

 season the results have not been so satisfactory as might have 

 been desired, especially of those carried on in the open air. A 

 complete trial of all the varieties of summer Badishes has been 

 made, numbering 130 samples. 



The Society now possesses a fine collection of Tuberous Bego- 

 nias, many of which are hybrids raised in the Gardens by Mr. 

 Barron, who has also been most successful in raising several new 

 and handsome varieties of the Chinese Primrose. 



The violent hailstorm of August last broke upwards of one 

 thousand panes of glass, while other necessary repairs at Chiswick 

 have occasioned extra expenditure. The land on the west of the 

 Gardens having been sold and a new road made it was 

 found necessay to erect a new boundary wall. The cost has been 

 defrayed by His Grace the Duke of Devonshire, on the under- 

 standing that one moiety shall remain as a loan to the Society at 

 5 per cent, interest. The expenses of the Gardens have been re- 



