Xvi PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Show, tlie other for Alpines, presented by Mr. Keginald Farrer. The 

 Council take this opportunity of expressing their cordial thanks to the 

 donors. 



21. Victoria Medal of Honour. — The year was almost spent, and 

 the Council were rejoicing in not having any vacancy to report in the 

 ranks of the Victoria Medal of Honour, when almost simultaneously 

 it became necessary to record the loss of two of the most prominent 

 of the recipients of this distinction. Sir Joseph D. Hooker, O.M., 

 G.C.S.I., C.B., F.E.S.— the foremost of Enghsh botanists in the 

 19th century — passed away in December after an unusually long 

 life of useful and active scientific work. Sir Joseph was pre-deceased 

 by only a few days by Mr. James Douglas, one of the greatest practical 

 gardeners and florists of this country, and one who for many years 

 has worked whole-heartedly on the Council of the Society and on Com- 

 mittees, and as a judge and an examiner. Sir Joseph Hooker had 

 for more than half a century been Chairman of our Scientific Com.- 

 mittee, and only four years ago, writing to the President to thank him 

 for the Society's congratulations on his ninetieth birthday, he said: — 

 " It has been a source of great regret to me that I am obliged to 

 abandon all hope of attending the Society's meetings. As a botanist 

 I have thereby lost much, for the Eoyal Horticultural Society has con- 

 tributed more to botanical science as represented by collections, publi-"^ 

 cations and experimental research, than any other establishment m 

 Europe." The President and Council desire to put on record the very 

 high esteem in which they have always held both of these Victorian 

 medallists — the one so distinguished in science, the other in the 

 practical work of the application of science. 



22. Obituary. — Among many other friends whose names will no 

 longer be seen on our list are the Eight Hon. Sir Chas. Dilke, Bart., a 

 Director of the "Gardeners' Chronicle"; Colonel E. H. Beddome, a 

 past Member of the Council ; The Dowager Duchess of Wellington ; Earl 

 Spencer, K.G. ; The Earl of Onslow, G.C.M.G. ; The Earl of Cran- 

 brook ; Colonel Arthur Collins, C.B., M.V.O. ; Sir Wilham Grantham, 

 K.C., to whom the Society owes much in connexion with the Temple 

 Show; Sir Francis Galton, F.E.S. ; Sir John Aird, Bart. ; Sir William 

 Farrer; Lady Joicey ; Messrs. C. Foster, Geo. Hobday and James 

 W^alker — ^Members of the Society's Committees; and Messrs. G. B. M. 

 Murray, F.E.S. , late Keeper of Botany, British Museum; Henry 

 Bohn, W;. E. Gumbleton, John Eobson, H. F. Tiarks, A. W. Weeks, 

 and Jj. A. de Graaf (of Leiden). Their loss to the Society is much 

 regretted, but their influence will long remain in the Society's active : 



;life. ' : " \ 



23. Annual Prog^ress.— The following table will show the 

 Society's progress in regard to numerical strength during the past 

 year : i 



