The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1845-01-21 00:00:00

LIVERPOOL BOTANIC GARDENS

Yesterday, at one o'clock, the annual meeting of the
proprietors of the Botanic Gardens was held in the Cla-
rendon Rooms, for the usual purposes. The attendance
was very meagre. W. Reynolds, Esq., M.D. chairman
of the committee presided.

The CHAIRMAN opened the business of the meeting
by reading the following report :

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE BOTANIC
GARDEN.-1844.

In conformity with Law 10, the Committee beg to lay
before you a report of their proceedings during the past
year. There are many circumstances on which they feel
themselves justified in congratulating the proprietors,
although on the almost vital one of the financial resources
of the garden, its position is unfortunately in no respect
improved. As, however, the treasurer will present his
statem,mt of Accounts to the meeting, and as the subject
has been repeatedly pressed on the notice of the proprie-
tors, your Committee will only further remark that there
are at the present time several causes of expenditure which
are not of a permanent nature.
The Horticultural Exhibitions were as attractive as in
the previous year, and many of the plants and fruits, of-
fered for show, were of great value, rarity, and beauty.
The attendance was numerous, and the Exhibitions were
pronounced by competent judges to he of the highest
order, and well calculated not only to gratify the visitors,
but essentially to forward the objects for which the gar-
dens were founded. The expenditure attending the Ex-
hibitions, chiefly on account of premiums, has slightly
exceeded the receipts, but the difference is more than com-
pensated by the sale of annual tickets, the purchase of
which was doubtless in a great measure induced by the
attraction of the Flower Shows. Such exhibitions have
an obvious tendency to encourage horticultural skill and
science, and to extend the reputation of the garden—
and the proprietors, with their families, have a valuable
additional privilege placed within their reach. Under
these circumstances, and it being most important that
persons intending to exhibit should have timely notice,
the Committee feel confident that the meeting will sanc-
tion their having already announced to the public that
three Exhibitions will take place in the present year—the
amount of premiums not exceeding that authorised at the
last Annual Meeting.
_ _ _

Si❑ce the last report the arrangement of the plants in
Natural Orders for the purpose of facilitating reference
to any particular Genus or Species, and for the cultivation
of scientific Horticulture and Botany, has made consi-
derable advance, and, through the judicious directions of
the Curator, has much beautified and improved the ap-
pearance of the Garden. The labelling of.the plants, on
the improved system, is steadily carried on, and much
progress has been made, but its completion will necessarily
occupy much time, as there are in the garden about four
hundred species of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants,
which require new labels.

Your Committee have much pleasure in stating that the
working classes continue to appreciate the principle of the
free admission days.
The TREASURER (Mr. Anthony) then read a detailed
statement of bis accounts, from which it appeared that
the income of the gardens during the past year bad
amounted to £7Ol 14s. 4d., whilst the expenses were
£7OB ss. 6d., leaving a balance due to the treasurer of
£6 lls. 2d. On the subject of the debt it appeared that
there remained due to the Bank of Liverpool £477 ls. lld ;
upon loans of £2,570 ; and to the treasurer £3B Ils. ;
making in the whole £3045 12s. Ild.

Dr. WINSTANLEY inquired what was thedifference be-
tween the debt now and at the corresponding period last
year.