28 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
App.il 8 
be very good practical gardeners. But the Council say, 
they are “ of opinion that so large a portion as ouo- 
third of practical horticulturists on the Council (the 
number recommended by the Committee) would be un¬ 
popular, if not disadvantageous!” Very well, be it so; 
biit Gardeners may well retort on the Council, and say, 
fearlessly, that nou-pradicals have made the Horticul¬ 
tural Society of London the most unpopular society of 
any in Europe ; and that of itself is now far more dis¬ 
advantageous” than the “ financial difficulties.” 
But as the “ Committee of Investigation” could only 
suggest the discharge of Mr. Gordon and Mr. Thomson, 
and left out altogether the “investigation” into the real 
causes of tho unpopularity, why should 1 go out of my 
way to point them out? I would not give a boodle for 
all the “investigations” of that Committee; we should 
have been better off now without them. But the best 
proof of their weak points is the fact, that after hearing 
all they had to say,'and after considering over it for 
nearly three weeks, Earl Grey rose, and proposed the 
very same resolution which ho submitted on tho 11th of 
February, that is, to sell every “ stone and stick” in the 
Chiswick Garden. 1 expressed a hope that the Council 
would have acted rnoro gentlemanly by tho Committee, 
on the principle of one good turn deserving another; 
but no ; Chiswick Garden will certainly be sold off after 
a vain struggle or two, and if the Society must fall to 
the ground in consequence, tho more is the pity. But 
in this reading age no garden will fill the loss; ami it 
must be of little consequence to the gardening world at 
largo whether we fall this year or next. 
The Horticultural Society has fulfilled its mission 
long since; but it is a hard matter that it should die in 
debt. They say we are solvent; but 1 doubt it. If 
everything comes to the hammer before a largo portion 
of our debt is cleared oil’, depend upon it wo shall not 
have much left to quarrel about. Tho more sanguine 
of the Follows entertain strong hopes of a revival; and 
those of them at this meeting carried the day in favour 
of “ subscriptions in aid.” They arc to look out for 
donations between this and the next anniversary meet¬ 
ing, by which time they expect to collect sufficient funds 
to carry on the Garden, or, rather, the whole establish¬ 
ment ot the Society, for one year; and if they succeed, 
the Council undertake to deal with it to tho best of their 
abilities. Jf this scheme should fail, the resolution for 
selling off the Garden will be proposed the third time, 
and a counter proposition to sell the house in Regent 
Street instead, as beiug of less value than tho Garden 
in the eyes of practicals. After all, you may take my 
word for it that the days of the Horticultural Society 
are numbered; but let us die in peace with each other, 
and with all the world besides. D. Beaton. 
Hepoet by the Council op the IIouticultueal Society 
to the Special Gexeeal Meeting, held on Monday, 
MaecS 31, 1856. 
It having been resolved at the last Special General Meet¬ 
ing of the Society, “ That the report then presented by the 
committee appointed on Oth February be referred to the 
council, with the request that the council do report to a fu¬ 
ture meeting on the practicability and advisability of adopt¬ 
ing the recommendations of the committee, or any portion of 
them,” the council now proceed to state the result of their 
consideration of tho document in question. 
It will be in the recollection of the society, that the 
council in their report of February 5th, expressly declared 
tlmtitwas because of the apparent impossibility of defraying 
the cost of the society’s garden, that they hud caused a Spe¬ 
cial General Meeting of the Follows to be convened, " for * 
the purpose of obtaining the authority of the society to make 
so great a sacrifice; or of healing what other course the Fcl- 
" W!> I'dght have In propose. 1 ' Moreover, after stating their 
own views of the future course that might be taken, the 
council added, <• that upon these points some difference of 
opinion must be expected to prevail.” “In circumstances so 
difficult as those of the society it could scarcely bo other¬ 
wise. They did not cling to their own suggestions. Although 
the proposals they made wore the best which bad occuived 
to themselves, or had been suggested by others, at the date 
of their circular of December 24th; nevertheless, should dif¬ 
ferent views, not inconsistent with the financial safety 
OF THE CoKPOltATION, Meet with the approval of the Meetinr, 
the conncil declined their readiness to do what lies with tlicu 
to give them effect." 
It was, therefore, with no reluctance that they assented to 
the further consideration of the subject by a committee of 
gentlemen wholly unconnected with themselves, and they 
immediately instructed the vice-secretary not only to give 
the committee whatever information it might require; but to 
place at its disposal, without reserve, every book, paper, or 
other document which could aid the members in their 
inquiry. 
When, therefore, the report of the lltli of March, to the 
recommendations in which the council are now about to ad¬ 
vert, was presented to the meeting, it was in a spirit the re¬ 
verse of hostile that its immediate adoption was objected to. 
But the council felt it to be absolutely necessary that so im¬ 
portant a document should be considered with far more care 
and deliberation than it was possible to give it at the mo¬ 
ment of its reception ; they also saw that parts of it required 
explanations which might be more satisfactory and conclu¬ 
sive if obtained by a personal communication villi some of 
the committee than if discussed on the instant. 
’When the meeting of the lltli of March broke up, tho 
council immediately invited to a conference the chairman and 
the two other members of the late committee who addressed 
the meeting, namely, Mr. Godson, the Reverend L. Vernon- 
llarcourt, and Mr. Yeitcli. That conference lias been held ; 
such points as seemed to the council most in need of eluci¬ 
dation have been fully discussed ; and the council now pro¬ 
ceed to state the conclusions at which they have arrived. 
It will not be necessary to occupy the meeting with all the 
topics introduced into the report of the committee. Details 
will adjust themselves when the main points are determined. 
The council, therefore, limit themselves to the following 
subjects:— 
1. The preservation of the garden. 
2. The future ■management of the garden. 
3. Exhibitions at the garden. 
4. The reorganization of the council. 
5. The financial question. 
1. The Preservation of the Garden. —The council yield to no 
one in their desire to maintain this branch of the establish¬ 
ment. In their report of February 5th, they expressly de¬ 
clared that nothing less than what they believed to be impe¬ 
rious necessity compelled them to entertain the question of 
relinquishing it. It was the want of funds, and the danger 
of plunging the affairs of the society into irretrievable dis¬ 
order by continuing to incur an expenditure fully A‘2,000 a 
year beyond the income of the society, which in their view 
caused that necessity. The council said, that “ the garden had 
been the great scene of the labours of the Society; it was 
there and through it that the utility of the society had been 
demonstrated to the whole world ; it was the field in which 
it had gained a reputation that was acknowledged wherever 
the name of horticulture was known; and, moreover, it was 
the place upon which what may be almost called the affec¬ 
tion of a large body of its Fellows was fixed.” The proceed¬ 
ings at the two last meetings of the Fellows, and the report 
of Mr. Godson’s committee, distinctly show that the feeling 
is very general. There is no difference of opinion in any 
quarter as to tho preservation of the garden, if it c,an be 
effected. 
2. — The future Management of the Garden. —Among tlie 
points in the report of the committee, nothing appeared to 
tho council, at first sight, of more doubtful policy than the 
proposal to dispense with the services of the two superin¬ 
tendents who have each been so many years in the service of 
tho society; and to replace them by some one practical man 
of acknowledged skill, energy, ami ability. The members of 
the lute committee, with whom the council conferred, have, 
however, given reasons for their opinion, which undoubtedly 
have Weight. But since the anniversary is close at band, 
when a new council will be constituted, the present council 
