REPORT OF THE COUNCIL FOR THE YEAR 1896-97. xi 



the Superintendent, and the Assistant- Superintendent should 

 continue as heretofore. 



The Council have had before them various proposals for 

 celebrating the attainment by Her Most Gracious Majesty the 

 Queen, Patron of the Society, of the longest reign in English 

 history. Some of these proposals were for one reason or another 

 found to be impracticable, others were found to involve a far 

 larger expenditure of money than the Society can command or 

 could reasonably hope in so short a period to collect. They have, 

 therefore, after most careful consideration, decided, with Her 

 Majesty's gracious permission, (i) to strike a special Medal or 

 Medallion, to be called the Victoria Medal of Horticulture and to 

 be awarded honoris causa in the domain of Horticulture. They 

 will also (ii) join in the celebration of the event which is to take 

 place at the Great Show to be held at Shrewsbury in August to 

 which they have received a very cordial invitation. 



The proposal to strike a Victoria Medal of Honour has been 

 submitted to Her Majesty, who whilst refraining in this as in all 

 other cases from expressing any personal opinion on the pro- 

 posed method of commemorating the 60th year of her reign, 

 graciously adds that she " has no possible objection to raise" 

 either to the proposal itself or to the name to be given to the 

 Medal. 



The Council in closing their Report desire most respectfully 

 to tender to Her Majesty their most sincere and thankful congra- 

 tulations on the approaching completion of the 60th year of her 

 beneficent and auspicious reign, and they are confident that 

 every Fellow of the Society will join with them in saying " God 

 Save the Queen." 



