204 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



mittee was authorized to appoint a librarian annually ; 

 but we have no record of any action under this authority 

 until 1844, when Robert McCleary Copeland was ap- 

 pointed. Mr. Copeland had been chosen a member of 

 the Library Committee for the previous year, and he 

 continued to hold both these positions until the close of 

 the year 1866. For some years his services were given 

 without charge ; but afterwards he received a small 

 salary. His care and attention in preserving the valua- 

 ble books in the library from injury under many disad- 

 vantageous circumstances, were repeatedly acknowl- 

 edged by the Library Committee ; and at their sugges- 

 tion, in January, 1861, the Society presented him with 

 a testimonial of its appreciation of his services. Since 

 1866, the treasurer, E. W. Buswell, has performed the 

 duties of librarian. 



In thus tracing the progress of the library from its 

 foundation, we have incidentally mentioned some of 

 the more valuable acquisitions made from time to time, 

 especially in the earlier part of its history ; and a con- 

 tinuation of the list of donations, especially of the 

 books written and presented by members of the Society, 

 would be of much interest, but too long for these pages, 

 and we mention only the splendid work on the Victoria 

 Regia, by John Fisk Allen, of which a copy was pre- 

 sented by him to the Society; and Alphand's great 

 work, Les Promenades de Paris, a copy of which was 

 presented by William Gray, Jun., and another by Francis 

 L. Lee. So, also, we might give an idea of the present 

 value of the library by mentioning the names of many 

 rare and costly works, of which, probably, but few can 

 be found in the country, except in this library; but 

 space forbids, and we can only say that the possession 



