EXTRACTS OE PROCEEDINGS. 
V 
it will be on this occasion, as it usually is, the desire of the meeting 
that the report he taken as read, inasmuch it has been for some 
time in the hands of Fellows (hear, hear). That being so, I hope 
the Fellows will agree with me and my colleagues that the report 
is an encouraging and cheering one (hear, hear); that it exhibits 
signs, not of disappointed hopes almost brought to the verge of 
despair, which was the case in some of the preceding reports of the 
Council of this Society, but that it is one full of animation and of 
the promise of a healthy life (hear, hear). We met last year under 
many advantages, but still many discouragements. These were the 
falling-off of a considerable number of the Fellows, caused to a 
very large extent by the great disunion which existed up to that time 
in the Society. The number of Fellows up to the last two years 
had been steadily decreasing, and that decrease went on at an 
accelerating ratio ; and the result is, that although during the last 
year we may be considered to have very much recovered ourselves, 
the whole number of Fellows is less at this moment than it was at 
the commencement of 1876. Still, the accession of numbers last 
year has been very considerable (hear, hear); and great a sign as 
this is, we have also other signs that there is a returning confidence 
of the public towards this Society. The report • shows you that 
while during'the past year seventy-nine Fellows resigned and 
sixty Fellows died, we have had an accession of no less than 255 new 
Fellows, and 231 guinea members, so that you see, in point of fact, 
the increase of numbers was very great (hear, hear). That is 
really a fact which ought to be steadily borne in mind when the 
prospects of the Society are taken into consideration. But this 
is only one symptom of reviving confidence in the Society. 
Another cause of encouragement is, that the disputes which unfor¬ 
tunately hitherto existed in our meetings, and which undoubtedly- 
produced a very bad effect in the minds of the public, have en¬ 
tirely disappeared. That, too, I consider is a gratifying announce¬ 
ment to be able to make (hear, hear). The Society determined 
to avail themselves of this new feeling of confidence by great exer¬ 
tions on their part; and these exertions, I am happy to say, have 
been successful. It will be agreed, I am sure, on all hands that 
the fortnightly shows which the Society has held were not only 
equal but much superior to those of former years, whether as re¬ 
garded their value in a scientific point of view, in one of horticultural 
interest, or their external beauty (cheers). In no year have we 
had any more magnificent shows (hear, hear). Then, again 
