vi PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



13. Letting of the Hall.— The policy adopted by the Council of 

 making moderate but inclusive charges for hiring the Hall has already 

 been productive of most satisfactory results to the Society's finances, and 

 they are glad to report that the bookings for 1907 are in excess of those 

 for 1906, and several dates in 1908 are already engaged. The Fellows are 

 particularly asked to continue to make known the fact of the Hall being 

 thus available for hire, so as to reduce the pressure of the heavy charges 

 for ground rent, rates, taxes, and other expenditure connected with the 

 building. 



14. Shows in 1906.— Daring the year thirty-three Exhibitions, 

 covering forty-two days, have been provided for the benefit of the Fellows 

 and their friends. 



15. The Temple Show. — By the kindness of the Master and 

 Benchers the Society was able to hold its great Show of Flowers for the 

 nineteenth year in succession on May 29, 30, and 31 in the gardens of the 

 Inner Temple, and, despite the unfavourable weather, both the exhibits 

 and the attendance exceeded the average. 



16. The Summer Show. — On July 10 and 11 a most successful 

 Show was held in the Park of Holland House by the kindness of Dowager 

 Countess of Ilchester, who has graciously consented to allow the Summer 

 Show to be held there again on July 9 and 10, 1907. 



17. Colonial Fruit Shows.— Three Shows of Colonial Fruit and 

 Vegetable products have been held, and the Council have noticed with 

 pleasure that the quality of the exhibits has this year greatly improved. 

 It has been arranged to hold further exhibitions on June 13 and 14, and 

 November 28 and 29, 1907. The object of fixing these dates is, if possible, 

 to suit the season which is most likely to find the produce of Australia, 

 Tasmania, and New Zealand, and of Canada, British Columbia, and the 

 West Indies, in the greatest perfection in London. The policy of holding 

 Shows of Colonial Fruit has been questioned by a few English fruit 

 growers, but the Council ask them to remember that the Society is not for 

 England alone, and that it possesses many Fellows already in Greater 

 Britain over the seas, whose number it is hoped to increase. 



18. Awards. — The Council are fully aware (as all Fellows who visit 

 the Society's Shows must also be) how very meritorious the groups of 

 Flowers, Fruits, and Vegetables have been, and how thoroughly, as a rule, 

 they seem to deserve the medals and other awards recommended by the 

 Committees. The Council, therefore, recognise fully the difficulty of the 

 work of the Committees in decreasing the number of medals they recom- 

 mend. At the same time they feel it their duty to urge very strongly 

 upon all the Committees, and upon each individual member thereof, the 

 necessity of gradually but continually raising the standard of excellence 

 which they set before themselves in recommending awards. The number 

 of awards recommended by the Committees have been : — In 1901, 983 ; in 

 1902, 1,025 ; in 1903, 1,180 ; in 1904, 1,169 ; in 1905, 1,254 ; in 1906, 

 1,337 ; and the Council cannot but feel that the continuance of this high 



