REPORT OF THE LIBRARY COMMITTEE. 349 



ouly five hundred and two, while in three years more it had risen 

 to seven hundred and ninety-eight. It is plain, therefore, that no 

 inference can be drawn from two or three years' record. The 

 largest numbers of entries are those which antedated the custom of 

 Saturday discussions ; and it is vei-y likely that such numbers will 

 not be again reached for some time ; perhaps not at all : — the 

 discussions to some extent supplying the information previously 

 furnished by this library. 



But this Committee does not regard the record of books taken 

 out as being of very great importance in showing the actual use 

 of the library, for who knows whether a book taken out is read 

 wholly or only in part ? Moreover books vary greatly in impor- 

 tance, yet all make the same show on the book of entries. We 

 base our opinion that the library is more used from year to year 

 upon the very great increase of study and reading in the library 

 room. To determine this point we have made very frequent obser- 

 vations and inquiries, and all the evidence is toward one conclu- 

 sion, — that which we have just pronounced. 



The second of the criticisms to which we have referred, — that 

 many useless books are Ijought, — is easily met. Any book is use- 

 less to him who has no use for it, and we have probably no mem- 

 ber who cares to use every book in the librar}^ ; but he must be a 

 very reckless person who shall use the word in its broad sense, 

 and declare that any book we have is of no use to any one. 



Probably this criticism arises from the fact that many books are 

 bought whose bearing upon practical horticulture is not very 

 apparent, such as herbals, floras of various countries, monographs 

 of natural orders of plants, works on systematic botany, geogra- 

 phical distribution, and the like. In explanation, we can state 

 that we watch publishers' announcements, book notices, etc., 

 closely, and neglect nothing that appears to be of a so-called 

 "practical" nature and worth procuring; also that we have 

 bought every book that has been asked for during the year, when- 

 ever we could without disobeying the wise restrictions imposed by 

 Mr. Stickney. If any of these purchases appear, to some, superflu- 

 ous, they should remember that a large proportion of our members 

 are persons whose interest in horticulture is of a scientific or 

 literary nature only, and so long as these members pay their 

 assessments, they have a perfect right to expect that their tastes 

 and wants shall be considered. 



