COMMONPLACE NOTES. 



215 



responsibilities and duties. These great gifts entail the responsibility of 

 their completion. Fifteen thousand pounds is still wanted to complete the 

 New Hall and Offices, and £5,000 is needed to equip the Garden. Surely, 

 surely the Fellows will find these necessary amounts '? Let all who 

 wished for a New Hall send a subscription to it now, and let all who 

 wanted a New Garden send a subscription to it likewise. The bone of 

 contention as to which project should have precedence of the other has 

 been taken away by these two kind and generous friends of the Society ; 

 now the duty falls upon the rank and file of the Fellows to join together 

 to complete the one and to equip the other. We have 7,000 Fellows, 

 and if every one would send an average of £3 a head both Hall and Garden 

 would be complete. Many who, when the Hall Fund was started, excused 

 themselves, saying, " No, I should prefer a Garden," have now obtained 

 their wish. Let them now come forward and show that it was not 

 a mere excuse, by giving liberally towards the Garden. For it must be 

 borne in mind that though the Garden at Wisley is one of the most 

 beautiful spots you can imagine, and is full of beautiful and rare plants, 

 it is at present only a superb " wild garden," and for the purposes of the 

 Society needs a Scientific Department, a Vegetable Quarter, a Fruit Garden, 

 and Glass-houses added, besides dwelling-houses for the staff— the nearest 

 village being two miles distant, and even there no house accommodation 

 to be had. The Hall, too, is now half finished, but the funds to pay for 

 it are not yet raised. Financial help is now the one thing needed to 

 make the year of the Society's centenary dawn with roseate hue. Surely 

 we shall not appeal to the Fellows in vain '? 



It may be said, " Why not use the Society's invested funds ? " 

 Because the annual upkeep expenses of both Hall and Garden will be 

 very large, and if you spend investments you decrease annual income, 

 and if you decrease annual income, how are these increased annual 

 expenses to be met ? No, let us all put our shoulders to the wheel, and 

 each and all, small and great, do something — as much as ever ice each 

 can — and so endeavour to start the Society upon the second century of 

 its existence in prosperity as well as peace. Peace has, we trust, been 

 thoroughly restored by the kind actions of the Baron and Sir Thomas ; 

 now let the Fellows themselves combine to secure the much-to-be-desired 

 prosperity. May we seriously entreat everybody to send something, some 

 more than the average £3 a head, some less ; but each as best he can, 

 and everybody something ? 



It is hoped that both Garden and Hall will be able to be opened to 

 the Fellows in the early part of next year, but at present it is impossible 

 to admit anyone to either. 



How to Help the New Hall and Garden. 



Great was the pleasure which we felt on opening the following letter, 

 which reached us on September 22 : — 



" We beg to inform you that we sold at our Sale Rooms on Friday 

 last a plant of Zygopetalum Bocblingianum for a sum of fifty guineas. 

 This was the property of C. G. Roebling, Esq., of Trenton, New Jersey, 

 U.S.A., and his instructions are that the sum realised is to be handed 



