February 10,1881.] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
109 
A desire has been shown by the inhabitants of the neighbourhood 
of Chiswick Garden for the resumption of flower shows there. During 
the past year a local organisation was formed, which received the 
support of the Council, and a very successful exhibition of flowers 
was held for the benefit of the West London Hospital, the garden 
being thrown open to the visitors. The profit derived from this 
Exhibition realised upwards of £80, which was handed over to the 
hospital. It is in contemplation to hold another exhibition this year, 
and a similar organisation has been formed to carry out the arrange¬ 
ments, the objeet being to encourage the horticulture of the district 
and to strengthen the Society. 
Some rearrangement of the garden has been deemed necessary, and 
a considerable portion which was formerly occupied with bedding 
plants has been converted into a broad lawn. 
The crops of outdoor fruit are very short, the trees not having re¬ 
covered from the injuries of the disastrous season of 1879. Peaches 
on the open walls were very scarce. Pears were more numerous and 
generally of good quality, but the crop of Grapes in the large con¬ 
servatory was not so good as in previous years. The Vines in the 
long glass wall, which were planted two years ago, have been a great 
source of attraction from the luxuriance of their growth and the high 
development of their fruit, which illustrate the excellence of Gros 
Colman and Alicante as late varieties. 
It being deemed advisable to discontinue the cultivation of orchard- 
house trees, the system having been thoroughly tested and established, 
it is proposed to plant the large orchard house with a collection of 
Tea Roses, and the Council will be happy to receive any contributions 
in plants which the Eellows may wish to make towards this object. 
The sales of garden produce during the past year amounted to 
£641 Is. 10(7., being £17 in excess of last year, and. the total receipts 
of Chiswick Garden amounted to £709 4s. 1(7., being nearly £100 in 
excess of last year. 
The distribution of plants and seeds to Fellows far exceeded that 
of any previous year ; 1,020 Fellows were supplied with 19,622 plants 
and 8,424 packets of cuttings of fruit trees, and 40,559 packets of seeds. 
The Society is indebted to many of the Fellows for liberal donations 
of seeds and plants to the garden, among whom are J. T. D. Macin¬ 
tosh, Esq., Col. R. Trevor Clarke, H. H. Gibbs, Esq., Sir Charles 
Strickland, Bart., G. T. Clark, Esq., Sir Bartle Frere, Dr. Regel of 
St. Petersburgh, for bulbs and hardy plants ; Mr. Herbst of Richmond, 
for three hundred Palms for distribution ; Sir George Macleay, Baron 
Mueller, Ac. 
At South Kensington the fortnightly and monthly meetings of the 
Scientific, Fruit, and Floral Committees have been well attended, and 
the lectures which have been delivered by the Rev. George Henslow 
at the general meetings have been most attractive and have given 
great satisfaction. 
The Great Summer Show, which extended over four days, was one 
of the finest ever held in the garden, and but for the wet weather on 
the first two days it would have proved financially a great success. 
The special thanks of the Society are due to the exhibitors, and 
especially to the leading nurserymen, for their never-failing support 
of the Society. 
The Auricula Society’s Exhibition in April was very well attended, 
and excited great interest. 
The Society’s Rose Show and the Pelargonium Society’s Show were 
held in conjunction, and were in every respect a success, the Show of 
Pelargoniums being the best hitherto held. 
The Carnation and Picotee Society’s Show and the Exhibition of 
the British Bee-keepers’ Association, which were held simultaneously, 
attracted many visitors. Besides these there were Exhibitions on 
Whit-Monday and on the Bank Holiday in August. The former, for 
flowers grown specially for Covent Garden Market, was visited by 
upwards of 19,000 persons ; and the latter, for flowers grown by 
artisans and cottagers, was attended by 11,370. The Council, being 
desirous of fostering and encouraging the love of flowers among the 
masses, have made arrangements to continue the Great Summer Show 
this year over Whit-Monday and Whit-Tuesday. 
The conversazione held on the 26th of May, and the evening fete 
on the 21st of July, were numerously attended, and gave great 
satisfaction to the Fellows and visitors. 
The garden at Sorrth Kensington has been maintained in the 
highest state of keeping which the means of the Society allowed. 
Some of the larger trees, which were overcrowding those of greater 
value, have been removed, and a greater extent of grass lawn has 
been obtained. The Council crust that the returning prosperity of 
the Society will enable them to make it still more attractive. 
The game of lawn-tennis has become very popular in the_ garden, 
and every facility is afforded to the Fellows and their friends to 
indulge in that healthful exercise. 
The action between Her Majesty’s Commissioners and the Society 
is still pending in consequence of the opposition of the plaintiffs, the 
Commissioners, to the debenture holders being made parties to it. 
The Court of Appeal, to which the plaintiffs carried the point, una¬ 
nimously decided against their contention that the debenture holders 
had no right to be heard, and ordered Mr. Percival De Castro as their 
representative to be added as a defendant. This decision gave Mr. 
De Castro the right, of which he has availed himself, to counterclaim 
against the plaintiffs, and all questions between the Commissioners, 
the Society, and the debenture holders can now be decided. 
As was last year explained to the Fellows, the presence before the 
Court of the debenture holders was absolutely necessary to relieve 
the Society from the grave risk which it would have incurred if it 
had voluntarily surrendered the South Kensington Gardens, or left 
it open to the debenture holders to contend hereafter that it had not 
raised in the action every defence open to it, and so occasioned the 
destruction of their security. The Council have no reason to anti¬ 
cipate further delay in the proceedings, and hope the case will come 
on for hearing soon after the return of Mr. Justice Fry from circuit. 
During the past year 238 free monthly tickets have been issued to 
students in the Science and Art Schools, with permission to sketch in 
the gardens and conservatory. 
The Society has lost during the past year 29 life Fellows and 32 
annual Fellows by death, and 82 by resignation. 207 new Fellows 
have been elected during the year. 
The roll of Fellows now consists of— 
808 life Fellows. 
435 Fellows paying £4 4s. annually. 
860 „ „ £2 2s. 
2103 
The number of members paying one guinea annually is 87. 
Balance Sheet, 31st December, 1880. 
Dr. £ *■ 
To Sundry Creditors on open Account . 836 10 
„ Life Composition Account . 930 10 
„ Additional Debenture (C. J. Freake) . 5,000 0 
„ Legacies received . 1,887 8 
„ General Bevenue Account— Balance carried forward. 1,278 11 
£9,927 7 
Cr. £ s. 
By Capital Expenditure Account ... 7,130 12 
„ Annual Subscriptions—Outstanding. 351 15 
„ Sundry Debtors—Garden Produce. 120 15 3 
On open Account. 126 9 3 
-- 247 4 
„ Investment— 3 per cent. Consols. 1,892 11 
„ Cash at Bankers . 239 4 4 
„ Petty Ca^li in hand . 93 9 5 
” J 305 4 
£9,927 7 8 
We have examined the above'Accounts with the Books and Vouchers, and we 
find the same correct— 
JOHN LEE, 
JAS. F. WEST, 
II. A. ASPINALL,j 
> Auditors. 
£ s. d. 
January 29,1881. 
annual Revenue Account for the Year ending 31st December, 188 . 
Expenditure. 
To Establishment Expenses :—■ £ s - 
Salaries . 340 18 
Wages . 
Printing, Stationery, and Cards . 207 
Postages. 14 11 
Gas ._... 
Miscellaneous... 1. 
Law Charges. 125 
Special Expenses in relation to Horticulture 
Journal .. 
Fruit and Floral Committees.i- 
Grants in aid. 
Chiswick Gardens Expenses :— 
Rents, Rates, Taxes, and Insurance . 
Labour. 
Implements, Manure, Ac. 
Coal and Coke . 
Repairs .. 
Trees, Plants, Seeds, Ac. 
Superintendent’s Salary. 
Water . 
Miscellaneous. 
, Kensington Gardens Expenses :— 
Rates, Taxes, and Insurance. 
Superintendent's Salary. 
Labour... 
Repairs. 
Coal and Coke. 
Implements, Manure, Ac. 
Water . 
Reading Room . 
Bands . 
Miscellaneous. 
, Conversazione and Evening Fete . 
, Exhibitions :— 
Advertising . 
Prizes and Medals . 
Bands . 
Superintendent of Flower Shows. 
Labour. 
Judges’ Fees . 
Sundries . 
„ Balance to General Revenue Account . 
340 
18 
8 
180 
2 
0 
207 
4 
11 
50 
14 
11 
32 
9 
7 
113 
8 
0 
125 
0 
0 
48 
8 
11 
83 
7 
1 
30 
0 
0 
296 
5 
3 
1,061 
1 
10 
178 
16 
2 
182 
4 
0 
196 
4 
6i 
55 
0 
9 
150 
0 
0 
16 
18 
5 
128 
3 
li 
510 
10 
1 
100 
0 
0 
460 
18 
190 
7 
9 
65 
8 
6 
32 
13 
3 
42 
8 
4 
26 
5 
9 
20 
5 
0 
51 
7 
2 
1,049 18 1 
— 161 16 0 
2,264 14 1 
417 
17 
9 
658 
11 
6 
103 
18 
6 
25 
0 
0 
127 
4 
11 
18 
18 
0 
199 
17 
5 
1,500 
415 
1,551 8 1 
437 12 10 
£7,380 19 9 
