200 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



sarily incurred. The rules of the library had been 

 revised, and some important changes made ; and many 

 rare and valuable works had been added to the " List of 

 Books not to be taken from the Library Room." Some 

 of the periodicals taken the previous year, which were 

 found of little value, or were not read, had been discon- 

 tinued, and others added. The set of Curtis's Botanical 

 Magazine was incomplete by the whole of the second 

 series and several odd volumes, and, on account of the 

 rarity of those wanting, was deemed impossible ever to 

 complete ; but the missing volumes had all been sup- 

 plied, and the committee referred to this acquisition as, 

 perhaps, the most valuable made during the year. 

 They requested that the names of any books desired by 

 members might be handed to the librarian, to be added 

 to the library at the discretion of the committee. 



For several years, the annual appropriation of $500 

 was continued, and the general tenor of the reports was 

 the same. In 1863 it became evident, that to continue 

 the importation of foreign books at the high rates of 

 exchange then existing would involve so great an out- 

 lay, that it was resolved to suspend importation until a 

 more favorable time, excepting that of periodicals neces- 

 sary for keeping up with the movements of the day, 

 and a few other especially desirable works. In order 

 to offset in some degree the great increase of price on 

 these necessary importations, means were taken to give 

 the Society the benefit of the law which enables such 

 institutions to import books free of duty. In 1864, 

 also, the growth of the library was somewhat checked 

 by the same cause, though additions were made by pur- 

 chases within this country, both of rare and costly 

 works thrown from time to time on the market, and of 



