626 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



the success of these shows did not improve the finances. Indeed, after 

 1851 the Ohiswick show began to entail heavy losses. The Society- 

 had not yet learnt that it could only prosper securely if its prosperity 

 were based upon the subscriptions of a multitude of Fellows. It 

 made many sacrifices and tried many new experiments; but in 1858 

 it had only 985 Fellows and was in debt to the extent of nearly £10,000. 

 Its services to the horticulture of the country had been vast, but they 

 were not recognized in any practical way. , 



In 1858 the Prince Consort became President of the Society ; 20 

 acres of land in South Kensington were then leased from the Eoyal 

 Commissioners of the Exhibition of 1851, and the gardens were 

 elaborately laid out at a great cost. This again was a mistaken policy ; 

 and on the death of the Prince Consort in 1861 things went from bad to 

 worse. The Society made no profit out of its new gardens and could 

 not pay its rent. It had lost sight of its proper purpose, which was to 

 '* foster and encourage every branch of horticulture," and so had lost 

 the support of its FeUows. In 1887 the South Kensington gardens 

 were given up, and the Society, changing its policy, began its present 

 career of prosperity. 



Since that time it has been a Horticultural Society and nothing else. 

 Its object has been, not to provide entertainments for the public, but 

 to make itself useful to gardeners; and every new event in its history 

 has increased its usefulness. In the first place the subscription has 

 been lowered to £1 Is. a year. That is to say, a Fellow need pay no 

 more than that and £1 Is. entrance fee. He may pay £2 2s. or £4 4s., 

 in which case he will have more privileges. Every Fellow has a right 

 to attend all the shows and lectures of the Society and has extra 

 tickets, varying in number according to the amount of his subscription. 

 He receives a copy of the Society's Journal, which is published 

 quarterly and which contains reprints of the Society's lectures, reports 

 upon horticultural experiments at Wisley, and much more useful 

 matter. He has the right to use the Lindley Library, which is kept 

 in the Society's hall, to purchase at reduced rates fruit and vegetables 

 which are not required for experimental purposes, and to a share in 

 surplus and waste plants which are distributed annually. He can 

 also obtam analyses of manures, soils, &c., or advice on such subjects, 

 by letter from the consulting chemist of the Society subject to certain 

 fees and limitations. He can on payment of a fee have his garden 

 inspected by the Society's ofiicer. He can exhibit at all shows and 

 meetings; and he can send seeds, plants, &c., for trial to the Society's 

 gardens. 



The usefulness of the Society has been much increased in late years 

 by certain acquisitions which I will mention in order. In 1903, by 

 the generous gift of Sir Thomas Hanbury, the Society became possessed 

 of the beautiful gardens at Wisley, in Surrey, which were made by Mr. 

 G. F. Wilson. Mr. Wilson was, perhaps, the greatest gardener of 

 his time; and the Wisley gardens are unsurpassed as an example of 

 wild gardening. Many rare and difiicult plants flourish there as if they 



