REPORT OF THE COUNCIL FOR THE YEAR 1897-98. iii 



could now obtain, at less than half cost, analyses of soils and 

 manures, and advice as to what artificial manures to apply to 

 their particular soils or crops. 



Dr. Maxwell Masters, F.R.S., seconded the adoption of the 

 Report, warmly congratulating the President and Council on the 

 wonderful advance made by the Society in the past ten years, 

 and thanking them very heartily in the name of the Fellows for 

 securing Dr. Yoelcker's services as Chemist, and for appointing 

 the Rev. George Henslow, M.A., to be Professor of Botany to 

 the Society. 



The motion for the adoption of the Report, having been put 

 to the meeting, was declared to be carried unanimously. 



A vote of thanks to the President, proposed by Dr. Ince and 

 seconded by Mr. George Wythes, Y.M.H., concluded the business 

 of the meeting. 



Repokt of the Council for the Year 1897-98. 



The year 1897 will long be remembered as the Diamond 

 Jubilee year of Her Most Gracious Majesty, Patron of our Society 

 — remembered, too, for the innumerable projects set on foot in 

 celebration of the event. 



In the Report for 1896 the Council announced that they had 

 no intention of adding to the number of projects by starting any 

 ambitious Horticultural Celebration, which would lay any strain 

 upon the resources of individual Fellows. They stated that they 

 proposed to establish a Medal of Honour in Horticulture, and 

 that they had obtained the sanction of Her Majesty to call it the 

 Victoria Medal. 



This proposal has been duly carried out : the medal has been 

 prepared, and conferred on sixty recipients distinguished in 

 various ways in our Art and Science ; and it is believed to be 

 the only medal associated with Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee, 

 with the exception of the one founded by herself. It is, more- 

 over, the only Horticultural distinction in this country that is 

 conferred for personal merit only, and is entirely unconnected 

 with prize-winning. 



By their action in this matter the Council consider that they 

 have commemorated Her Gracious Majesty's Jubilee in a becom- 

 ing and enduring manner ; in a manner absolutely distinct from 

 all other celebrations ; in a manner that lays no tax upon the 



