360 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



There is probably uo library, above the level of circulators of 

 fiction, which has uot many l)ooks that have never been opened 

 since the day they were bought, but all such are only waiting their 

 time ; for them the hour may come, and the man, by whom and in 

 which they may be found almost indispensable. 



If exception be taken to some of our books on the ground of 

 then" being in foreign languages, it must be borne in mind that 

 most of these have illustrations which anybody may understand ; 

 and that there are uot more than two works in languages not 

 familiar to many of our members. One of the two is in Russian, — 

 it cost us nothing, being a gift ; the other is Japanese and con- 

 sists almost entirely of plates. 



The exhibitions of this Society are models of their kind ; our 

 prize lists are of unexampled liberality ; our discussions, beside 

 being attended by as many as this room will hold, are frequently 

 reprinted in foreign journals : we believe that our library is an 

 agenc}' uot inferior to either of these in causing the Societv to be 

 respected and appreciated; containing, relativeh' to its size, a 

 peculiarly valuable collection of books, and being open freely to 

 anj' one who desu'es to study here. 



There is one more subject upon which our duty will not allow us 

 to be silent, although it is the very familiar one of library accom- 

 modations. Everybody can see the state of affairs. Books 

 crowded and jammed into receptacles which can properly hold not 

 more than two-thirds of their present contents : others, very 

 valuable and useful ones, put into cases at the top of the libra- 

 rian's room, difficult to reach by the really dangerous ladder, and 

 almost impossible to be taken down ; others stowed in an upper 

 room, and of no use at present because of their inaccessibility. 



This Committee has taken great pains to inquire into the best 

 way of obviating the difficulty. Plans and estimates have been 

 secured, consultation has been had with a competent architect, 

 and yet the end of the year finds us worse off than the beginning. 

 It is absolutely necessary that something be done. 



For the Committee, 



W. E. ENDICOTT, Chairman. 



