EXTRACTS 03/ RRoCEEDJtKaS. 
vii 
Wants of the Society.’’ At any rate, whether my view is right or 
not—and I am bound to say it was confirmed by the opinion of an 
eminent counsel—the omission of that item from our balance-sheet 
was actually forced upon us by the auditors, who refused to sign 
our accounts so long as that item of £1700 appeared in them as 
a fictitious one. We have, as to our future provincial shows, 
entered into a contract with those who will assist us that, with 
respect to any surplus to be (set aside, neither the Council 
nor any other body shall have power to lay their hands upon it for 
any other purpose than that intended by the trustees (hear, hear). 
I assure you, therefore, that during the last year we have shown 
very considerable symptoms of reviving prosperity. We have 
had a large increase in the number of Fellows, and I have every 
ground for hoping that the returning flood of prosperity will con¬ 
tinue during the present year (cheers). The only way we can 
increase our revenue, having tried every other means, is by 
showing the public we are exerting ourselves to do our best, by 
showing horticulturists we are doing our utmost to advance the 
interests of horticultural science, and by showing those who live 
in this neighbourhood that the Council are making the attractions 
of these gardens as great as possible (hear, hear). I mention this 
because a gentleman—and I am not aware whether he is present in 
the room or not—has written to me to say he should move for the 
appointment of a committee of Fellows, who should institute an 
inquiry to see what can be done to promote the interests of the 
Society. Well, I think we had quite enough of these committees of 
inquiry (hear, hear). I know very well that in many cases of con¬ 
tingency and emergency there is a very great advantage in the 
appointment of such a committee of inquiry, but at the present 
time the appointment of such a committee would only show the 
existence of differences which do not exist (hear, hear, and cheers). 
I may say without presumption the Council does possess the confi¬ 
dence of the Fellows, and we are all convinced that anything like a 
suggestion of disunion must, at the present stage of our history, be 
of a very injurious character (cheers). A friend of mine who 
always says wise things and often witty ones, speaking a short time 
since of the visit of the Queen to the show, and then talking of the 
services of my friend on my right (Dr. Hogg) in the science of 
pomology, remarked that besides promoting the cultivation of 
Apples, the Council had been successful in expelling the apple of 
discord (cheers and laughter). I hope it has been thoroughly ex- 
