322 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



ACCESSIONS. 



The total number of books, pamphlets, and maps added to the 

 Library during the year was 7,823, a decrease of 1,134 compared with 

 the previous year. This decrease was due principally to the diffi- 

 culty of obtaining books from foreign countries, including exchanges 

 as well as purchases. Fewer accessions resulted from the binding of 

 serials, as a large number of the foreign periodicals and serials for 

 the last two or three years are incomplete. 



According to the record of accessions, the total number of books 

 and pamphlets accessioned by the Library up to July 1, 1018, was 

 153,226. From this number, however, should be deducted 5,910 vol- 

 irnies which were discarded during the fiscal year 1915 and 570 which 

 were discarded during the last three fiscal years, leaving a balance of 

 146,746 books and pamphlets in the Library on July 1, 1918. More 

 detailed statistics of the accessions of the year compared with pre- 

 vious years are given in Appendix 6. 



A one-week exhibit of recent accessions to the Library known as 

 the " New-book shelves " is maintained in the reading room of the 

 main Library. During the year the exhibit has been enlarged by 

 the purchase of a display case better suited than the shelves to the 

 exhibition of bulletin, pamphlet, and poster material. 



Of individual book purchases during the year the most important 

 were Von Siebold's Flora Japonica and Millais' Rhododendrons. The 

 following sets of periodicals have also been completed : Boston Society 

 of Natural History, Proceedings ; Buitenzorg, Java's Lands Planten- 

 tuin, Annales; Chemisch Weekblad; La Clinica Veterinaria; London, 

 Zoological Society, Transactions; Repertoire de legislation etde juris- 

 prudence forestieres. 



Among the notable accessions other than books should be mentioned 

 some photostat copies of valuable American manuscripts of agricul- 

 tural and historical interest wKich were procured for the Library 

 through the cooperation of Dr. R. H. True, of the Bureau of Plant 

 Industry. First in importance is the Farm and Garden Book of 

 Thomas Jefferson, the original of which is contained in the Massachu- 

 setts Historical Society library; second, the Proceedings of the Albe- 

 marle (Va.) Agricultural Society, the original of w^hich is in the 

 Virginia Historical Society library (Thomas Jefferson was a mem- 

 ber of this society and prepared the constitution) ; third, the Farm 

 Diary of Edmund RufRn, which was lent to Dr. R. H. True by a 

 nephew of Edmund Ruffin. This is the second diary of Mr. Ruffin, 

 an earlier one having been destroyed during the Civil War. It con- 

 tains many data of agricultural and scientific value. 



Another important acquisition of the Library outside of the class of 

 books and manuscripts was a biblioo;raphy (on cards) of American 

 agricultural periodicals. This bibliography was prepared outside 

 of official hours by Mr. Stephen Conrad Stuntz, who. before his death 

 in February, 1918, was connected with the Office of Seed and Plant 

 Introduction, Bureau of Plant Industry. After his death the bib- 

 liography was purchased by the Library. For various reasons it 

 had been impossible for Mr. Stuntz to complete and publish the 

 bibliography as he had originally intended. It is hoped that the 

 Library will later be able to complete the bibliography in accordance 

 with his plans. While much remains to be done to put it in final 



