DECLINE OF INTEREST. 191 



may be considered as fairly started as one of the most 

 important means of promoting the objects for which 

 the Society was founded. In the early history of the 

 Society it was exceedingly valuable to many members; 

 a large number of the books contained in it being not 

 only expensive, but difficult to procure. The many 

 notices of the library show the great interest at first 

 taken in this branch of the Society's work ; but, after 

 three or four years, they are found less frequently; and 

 there are indications that many books were lost to the 

 library by neglect of the members to return them, 

 Michaux's Sylva Americana being one of the missing 

 works. Through the whole of the year 1834 there is 

 hardly an allusion to the library ; but this may partly 

 be accounted for by the excitement attending the ques- 

 tion of separation from Mount Auburn. At the annual 

 meeting on the 19th of September, 1835, the Library 

 Committee made a report at length, the first of which 

 we have any record. It was placed on file ; but no copy 

 has been preserved. From the New England Farmer 

 we learn that the committee stated that measures had 

 been taken to secure the regular reception of certain 

 valuable publications from France. A part of the 

 report, relating to books having been loaned, and not 

 returned, was recommitted, with instructions to recover 

 the books if possible. 



For some years the notices of the library were ex- 

 tremely scanty ; but it was during this period that the 

 injury by fire mentioned in the preceding chapter 

 occurred. On the 17th of August, 1839, the committee 

 reported that there had recently been added to the 

 library the new edition of London's Encyclopaedia of 

 Plants, Buist's Flower Garden Directory, M'Intosh's 



