66 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE LIBRARY, 



For the Year ending Dec. 31, I860. 



BY ED'WAED S. BAWD, JB., CHAIBMAN. 



The Library of a Society, whose objects and aims are in any degree the 

 pursuit and cultivation of any of the natural sciences, is a great and im- 

 portant element of usefulness. The condition and prosperity of such a 

 society may be, in a greater or less degree, dependent upon the state of its 

 library ; but its usefulness to its members, and to the public, is far more 

 intimately connected with the class of books rendered accessible to them, 

 and with the facilities afforded for obtaining that information which, not 

 being derivable from experience, they can only gain by consulting the la- 

 bors of others, either pioneers or skilful laborers in the field in which they 

 would work. 



To a scientific man a well-selected library is indispensable ; the store of 

 knowledge gained by experience, though perhaps the most useful, is neces- 

 sarily but small, while that gleaned from the writings of others spreads 

 over a larger ground, is much more varied, and often available at once for 

 our own use. 



It is the duty of every society to provide a library for the use of its mem- 

 bers, and, as far as its means permit, to keep that library so stocked with 

 books that a reference to it may at once furnish the latest, best, and most 

 reliable information. 



To fulfil this duty the Library of our Society was founded many years 

 ago ; and the standard works on horticulture, agriculture, floriculture, and 

 pomology, as well as on landscape gardening and other kindred subjects, 

 were procured, many at great expense, and at a period when the means of 

 the Society were very limited, to form a nucleus for a library. 



Thus far it was well — a beginning was made, and had exertions been 

 continued to increase our Library, it would now have held most honorable 

 rank as one of the finest collections of horticultural books in existence. 



But, for some unknown reason, the interest began to flag at an early day, 

 and but little was done to increase the Library, or extend its sphere of use- 

 fulness. 



This apathy, on an all-important subject, is more incomprehensible, as, 

 during all these years, our Society has been steadily gaining in wealth and 

 position, attaining the rank, which it well holds, of the wealthiest Horti- 

 cultural Society in the country. 



It would be unfair to leave the impression that since that first beginning 

 we have made no progress. On the contrary, many valuable books have 

 from year to year been procured, and the Illustrated Periodicals have been 

 obtained, and substantially bound. All we would say is, that the condition 

 of the Library has not kept pace with the improved position and increased 

 wealth of the Society. 



