ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING. 



V 



The hearty thanks of the Society are due to the Chiswick 

 Board and to all the members of the Standing Committees, viz. 

 the Scientific, the Fruit and Vegetable, the Floral, the Orchid, 

 and the Narcissus Committees, for the kind and patient attention 

 which they have severally given to their departments ; also to 

 the exhibitors who have contributed to so great an extent to 

 produce the valuable results of the various meetings. 



The Council have the sad duty of recording the death of 

 72 Fellows during the year, and amongst them they regret to 

 find the names of the Duke of Manchester, the Duke of Marl- 

 borough, Earl Denbigh, the Earl of Lichfield, the Marchioness 

 of Waterford, Sir Henry Cotton, Captain Nelson, Mr. C. 

 Sharman, &c. 



A scheme for the affiliation of Local Societies was put forward 

 in 1890, and forty-six Local Societies have availed themselves 

 of it. The Council express the hope that Fellows will pro- 

 mote the affiliation of societies in their own immediate neigh 

 bourhood. 



In the spring of the year, the Rev. W. Wilks — who has acted 

 as Honorary Secretary of the Society since 1887, and the great 

 value of whose services is well known to the Fellows — requested 

 that he might be relieved of his office. Understanding that he 

 took this step solely on account of his having received an offer of 

 literary work, which he did not feel justified in refusing, the 

 Council unanimously decided to take advantage of the power 

 given in the Charter of making the Secretaryship a salaried office, 

 as it is in the Royal Society, the Linnean, and most other similar 

 bodies. They are glad to be able to say that, under the altered 

 conditions, Mr. Wilks willingly consented to refuse, for the 

 present at least, the lucrative offer that had been made him, and 

 to continue to devote his services to the Society's welfare. A 

 resolution to this effect will be submitted to the Annual Meeting. 

 This alteration of the Secretary's position created under the 

 Charter a vacancy in the Council. 



Besides the Great Spring Show in the Temple Gardens, which 

 will be held this year on May 25 and 26, the Council have 

 decided to hold a Show at Chiswick on July 11th, at which prizes 

 will be offered for local exhibits. 



The Council have also entered into an agreement with the 

 Directors of the Royal Agricultural Hall, Islington, to hold a 

 Great Autumn Show at that Hall, from August 29 to Sept. 1, 

 inclusive. A special schedule will be issued in March, and 

 upwards of £400 in prizes, medals, &c, will be offered for Fruit, 

 Flowers and Vegetables, and for Horticultural Appliances, ma- 

 chinery fittings and sundries. All articles shown in the latter 

 group will have to be fitted up and in working order from August 24 

 to Sept. 1, so that the judges may put them to practical tests. 



