VICTORIA MEDAL OF HONOUR. 



577 



well remembered when he was called to the Council. At that 

 time they were located at South Kensington, where they had a 

 large and lofty conservatory, but a wretched Council Chamber. 

 He also remembered that at that time the Council was very 

 much divided. Some were for continuing in the old groove, and 

 seeing the old Society gradually die out ; but there were others — 

 and at their head was Sir Trevor Lawrence — who believed they 

 would be doing right in breaking away from the old traditions. 

 That was a grave step to take. They had many consultations 

 together. They had no money, they had hardly any friends, and 

 the Society was going from bad to worse ; still, they had a 

 President, and that President helped them. In the midst of 

 their troubles, and when they were considering whether they 

 should leave South Kensington or not, they were turned out. 

 That was the darkest hour for their Society. They could not pay 

 their rent, they had no home in London, and very few friends, 

 but their President stuck to them. He was ready for the 

 occasion, and under his wise and careful management the 

 Society had gradually prospered, and it was now in a position 

 which no other horticultural Society in the world could boast 

 of. Now they were at the Drill Hall and at 117 Victoria Street. 

 They were wise to go there because they had nowhere else to go. 

 He still held his old opinion that the Society ought to have a 

 home of its own, and he hoped that some day such would be the 

 case. He heartily congratulated the President and officers, and 

 he felt sure that under their guidance the Society would continue 

 to flourish. 



The President, in response, said that Baron Schroder had 

 referred to him in far too flattering terms. He well remembered 

 the days about which the Baron had spoken, and he was bound 

 to say that it was owing, in a large measure, to the Baron's 

 hearty support that they were enabled to carry out the change 

 of policy to which reference had been made. It was the duty 

 of the Royal Horticultural Society to stick to horticulture, and 

 from the moment the Council gave evidence of a determination 

 to follow that course it had not looked back. It was impossible 

 for him, in responding to the toast, to give adequate utterance 

 to the feeling of gratitude entertained by members of the 

 Council towards the amateur and professional gardeners of the 

 country for their support on all occasions, evidence of which was 



