AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 45 



For purchases, ^96 46 



Ibinding, 72 06 



6168 52 



It "will be perceived that the coninilttee have steadily adhered to the plan 

 pursued for several years past, of purchasing such works only as come within 

 the scope and sphere of the Institute. A library containing a good collection 

 of works relating to the industrial pursuits has been much needed by the far- 

 mer, mechanic, inventor and manufacturer, and to supply this desideratum 

 would add much to the character and usefulness of the Institute. The 

 library has already made great progress in this direction, and it is hoped 

 that in the course of a few years it will be worthy of ranking as the Tech- 

 nological Library of the country. Among the works purchased during 

 the past year will be found the following, viz : 



Rogers' on Iron Manufacture or Metallurgy, 8 vo. London, 1857. 



Muspratt's Chemistry applied to the Arts and Manufactures. 5 vols. 

 4 to. London, 1859. 



Grantham's Iron Ship Building. 2 vols. 4 to. London, 1858. 



Herbert's Horse and Horsemanship of the United States. 2 vols. 4 to. 

 New York, 1858. 



The amount expended for books during the past year has been less 

 than it has been for several years previous, and this is explained by 

 the pecuniary condition of the Institute. The library committee, in 

 view of the temporary embarrassment of the Institute, consequent 

 upon the destruction of the late Crystal Palace, have felt warranted in 

 making such expenditure only as has been immediately necessary, and 

 could not well be deferred. The number of books purchased, therefore, 

 has been necessarily limited. 



Among the works which have been presented, are many of great 

 value. Important contributions have been received from the Impe- 

 rial Agricultural Society of Vienna, through the Honorable Charles 

 F. Loosey, Consul General of Austria ; from the Regents of the Uni- 

 versity of the State ; from the Smithsonian Institution ; from Captain 

 L. A. Huguet Latour, of Montreal, and others, as will be seen by 

 reference to the annexed list of contributions. Measures have been taken 

 by which the number of volumes obtained in this manner, gratuitously, 

 will be largely increased. It is hoped that many of the works and docu- 

 ments published by the governments of this country and Great Britain, 

 will be thus acquired. 



The library committee have recently issued a circular to the publishers 

 of all periodicals of an agricultural and mechanical nature, published in 

 the United States, soliciting the contribution of a copy of each of their 

 publications, to be placed in the library of the institute. The committee 

 are happy to announce that this circular has been cordially responded to, 

 the following named periodicals having been already received, viz : 



