275 



At the same time, the office accommodation at Victoria 

 Street, Westminster, which has always been very limited, 

 has for many years been wholly inadequate for carrying on 

 the increasing general office and routine work of the Society. 



Your Majesty, as long ago as 1890, addressed the Fellows 

 in the following words: 



" I sincerely hope your labours to obtain a Hall may 

 be successful, for I feel sure it would be of the greatest 

 use and advantage/' 



Since these encouraging words were spoken, the need for 

 the Hall has increased beyond all expectation, and the project 

 has never been absent from our hopes and our thoughts; 

 and it is this Hall and building, the final result of many 

 long years of hope deferred, but of sustained effort, that your 

 Majesty has graciously consented to declare open to-day* 



Much difficulty was experienced in finding a suitable 

 site for the building, but we are happy in thinking that 

 our present situation leaves nothing to be desired. Funds 

 had also to be collected, and more than thirteen hundred 

 donations have been received from all classes of the horti- 

 cultural community and others, amounting in all to £26,000. 



£14,000 still remains to be raised before the Society can 

 regard itself as the unfettered possessor of its Hall and 

 building fully equipped. 



The main purpose of the building is the holding of our 

 Fortnightly Shows, but other interests have not been lost 

 sight of, and we have reason to believe that the Hall will 

 often be in demand for numerous other purposes. In addi- 

 tion to the Hall, we have now ample office accommodation, 

 and a proper home for the Lindley Library, which is of 

 such great use to all students of horticulture. 



His MAJESTY the KING will then graciously reply to the 

 Address. 



