Xii PROCEEDINGS OP THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
full information as to the dates of the shows and meetings for this 
year will he ready for distribution as soon after the Annual Meeting 
as they can he printed. 
The magnificent shows which 'were honoured by the presence of 
Her Majesty and the Prince and Princess of •’Wales, and the show 
of Covent Garden produce, in which the Duke and Duchess of 
Tech showed a lively interest, were in every respect worthy of 
the Society. The Council hope that the two former will be quite 
equalled, if not exceeded, in extent and beauty by the four days’ 
show which will be held in May next. 
The Council have during the last two years wished to organise 
a provincial show on a grand scale ; but the practical extinction 
of the fund formerly set apart for this purpose by the appropria¬ 
tion of £1700 to other uses (which they have been advised cannot 
be recovered, and which, therefore, does not app ear in the balance- 
sheet), and the failure of their attempts to obtain sufficient local 
support, have hitherto prevented the accomplishment of their 
wish. How, however, a guarantee fund has been raised and 
arrangements made at Preston which justify the show which 
has been announced being held there. The form of guarantee 
provides for the future security from misappropriation of the 
profits specified in it, and the Secretary will be happy to receive 
the names of those willing to become guarantors. 
At Chiswick many valuable experiments have been made, the 
results of which will shortly be published in the Society’s Journal. 
The state of the garden is most satisfactory. The great vinery, 
probably the finest of its kind in the world, the vines in which 
are twenty years old, produced an abundant crop, which, at the 
reduced prices at which the grapes were sold to Pellows, realised 
£320. The vines planted against the glazed wall for identifica¬ 
tion and description have been removed, and their places will be 
filled by others bearing fruit of greater value. The vines removed 
are retained in the garden for distribution to Fellows. Full descrip¬ 
tions of them have been drawn up and will be published. The 
Peach trees trained as single “ cordons” are well worthy of inspec¬ 
tion ; their crop was good and of high quality. Trials 'have been 
made of 77 varieties of Tomatos (some grown in pots, some 
in the open ground) ; of 153 samples of Turnips, sown at diffe¬ 
rent seasons; of 67 samples of Savoys, and 183 samples of 
Cabbages, of all of which except the last reports are ready. The 
last, which have been tested as to their value for summer and 
