TENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR. 25 
As indicating the extent to which exchange relations 
have been established, I hope to be able to print in the 
Tenth Report a list of the periodical publications received 
at the Garden library, indicating, in an intelligible manner, 
those which are received in exchange for our own publica- 
tions. From data obtained for the preparation of such a 
list, it appears that the periodical publications now received 
number 930, of which 840, issued by 660 institutions, and 
ranging in value from the bulletins of agricultural experi- 
ment stations, intended for gratuitous distribution within 
the States where they are printed, to the superb Annals of 
the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta, the last volume of 
which has a selling price of nearly $50.00, are presented 
to the library. 
In 1891, the only year when a statement on this point 
was published, 185 exchanges were reported.* 
That the facilities accumulated under the provisions of 
Mr. Shaw’s will might be utilized, not only by Garden 
employees, but by all competent persons, the Director 
was some years since instructed to issue, from time to time, 
a circular calling attention to these facilities, and, under 
suitable simple restrictions, offering them to professors of 
botany and others competent to carry on independent in- 
vestigation at the institution.t From year to year the 
extent to which visiting botanists have availed them- 
selves of the privilege so offered has been indicated to 
the Board, and material for the herbarium and library 
has always been freely loaned to responsible specialists. 
Through a considerable part of 1898, one or more persons 
not in the regular employ of the Garden have occupied 
research tables here, one of them in the prosecution of 
work for the Doctor’s degree in Washington University ; 
and short visits to the institution have been made by a 
number of workers from a distance. 
* Rept. 3:16. t Rept. 7319. 8:22. 9317. 
+ Rept. 7:19. 8322, 42. 
