THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. 
249 
a code that was universally approved ; and 
pursuant to the directions of the Charter, 
the old bye-laws were repealed, and the new 
ones passed on the 16th of January. These 
rules and regulations are of the utmost im- 
portance, and cannot fail to place the Society 
upon a much better footing than it ever could 
have been under the antiquated laws, which 
hung like a mill-stone round its neck, and a 
log at its heels. Among the prominent fea- 
tures embodied in the new bye-laws is a power 
vested in the Council of creating a new class 
of Associates, with fewer privileges than 
Fellows, and paying a smaller subscription. 
Thousands of persons who wish well to the 
Society, and who can never, from distance or 
other circumstances, use half the privileges, 
will be glad, nevertheless, to enrol themselves 
as Associates, but would hesitate at pay- 
ing four guineas a-year. This, therefore, is 
likely to produce a revenue of some import- 
ance. The next point worthy of notice is a 
change in the prizes for fruit. "We have 
always regretted, in common with many others, 
the award of prizes in May and June for 
fruit. Forced fruit at any time is the result 
of some skill, but it is rarely produced in May 
and June at exhibitions in that perfection 
which alone warrants the award of a prize ; 
yet such has been the disposition to encourage 
it that prizes have been awarded, and the 
Society has made a sacrifice without being 
able to command such a show as they had a 
right to hope for. Tlie change is excellent ; 
the large prizes are withdrawn for May and 
June, and additions are made to the fruit 
prizes in July. Fruits, therefore, are not ex- 
cluded in May and June, but the judges will 
not be called upon to award any prizes unless 
they deem an exhibition to be out of the com- 
mon way. There are also some judicious 
changes in the schedule of prizes for Flowers 
and Plants. The Report goes on to notice 
the very poor attendances and the paucity of 
flowers at the Society's rooms in May, June, 
and July, arising no doubt from the attention 
being fastened on the Garden Meetings ; the 
Council have wisely discontinued them in the 
usual form, and substituted six Lectures on 
Horticulture, two in each month, Dr. Lindley 
having consented to give them on the loth 
and 22d of May, the 12th and 26th of June, 
and the 3d and I7th of July ; " and in order 
to enable those who may wish it, to exhibit on 
those days flowers and fruit which cannot be 
received at the Garden Meetings, the Council 
have availed themselves of the power given 
them by the- bye-laws, to constitute such lec- 
tures Ordinary General Meetings." We next 
come to the finances, and which, although the 
Report is rich in detail, we shall shorten very 
much. 
RECEIPTS. £ S. d. 
Life subscriptions 294 
Annual ditto 3,023 10 
Admission fees, 34 at 6 guineas 214 4 
Sale of Society's Works 113 12 3 
Rent of apartments let 150 
Garden produce sold 24 8 5 
Received of Members for Garden charges 47 4 6 
Miscellaneous receipts 4 5 7 
Garden Exhibitions, 1848 3,867 14 
Ditto, 1849 302 12 
Profit on Exchequer Bills 9 3 4 
Borrowed cash to pay oif Loan Notes 1,500 
Balance at the Banker's at commencement of the 
Finance Year, April 1st 570 12 7 
Ditto, Vice-Secretary IG 2 8 
£10,137 9 4 
EXPENSES. 
PAYMENTS. LIABILITIES. 
£ S. d. £ S. d. 
Interest on Loan Notes 334 7 10 
Rent, taxes, and rates. Regent- 
street, and Chiswick 174 8 10 ... 48S 17 3 
Repairs and furniture, Regent-st. 24 12 2 ... 7 19 9 
Housekeeping expenses 36 6 
Salaries, Collector's poundage, &c. 855 4 ... 247 15 10 
Cost of Society's Works 270 17 ... 154 17 9 
Library charges, printing, and 
stationery 89 12 9 ... 17 3 6 
Foreign Missions and imports 73 11 7 
Expense of Meetings, Porters, Car- 
riage, &c 156 13 3 
Garden labour 1,024 6 10 ■ 
Implements, mats, seeds, tan, 
dung, &c 104 9 9 ... .le 13 (j 
Coals and coke at garden ... ... 89 10 
Miscellaneous expenses, garden 
repairs, &c 454 15 2 ... 10119 8 
Distributors' expenses 144 1 6 ... Q7 18 6 
Exhibition expenses, 1848 1,291 7 11 ... 48 15 11 
Ditto, 1849 40 9 6 
£5,074 14 11 
Outstanding debts, 
1848 £1,324 16 6 paid 1,191 16 6 unpaid 133 
Medals' account „ 1,097 13 
Paid ofif Creditors on Loan Notes.. 2,200 
Cost of 3 per cent. Consols 126 
Balance in hand 447 4 11 
£1,444 11 8 
,. 690 5 ft 
£10,137 9 4 £2,134 16 8 
So far for the Dr. and Cr. account for the 
year, — now for the general affairs ; for the 
Report compi'ehends everything material to 
know ; there appears to be still due to the 
holders of loan-notes 5,400/,, and a debt due 
to Sir Wm. Call, the banker, of 1,500Z. ; to 
this add the above 2,134/. 16s. 8c?. of liabi- 
lities, and the total debt is 9,034/. 16s. ScL, 
from which, however, we have to deduct the 
balance in hand, which is 447/. 45. lie/., and 
336/., the cost of 3 per cent, consols, and this 
will leave the present debt 8,251/. lis. 9f/., 
which is 359/. Os. 9d. less than it was on the 
1st of May, 1848. Considering, therefore, the 
great depression in trade, the difficulty of col- 
lecting rents, and the many calls of the needy 
upon the liberality of the better classes, we 
may fairly congratulate the Council upon the 
healthy state of the Society, and the prospect 
of great advancement. Against this debt of 
8,251/. lis. 9c/. we have to set off the pro- 
perty of the Society, comprising the house, 
