64 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



BUSINESS MEETING. 



Saturday, May 2, 1874. 



An adjourned meeting of the society was holden at 11 o'clock. 

 "Vice-President C. O. Whitmore in the chair. 



Francis Parkman, Chairman of the Library Committee, read the 

 following communication from William E. Endicott, which was 

 referred to the Committees on the Library and on Publication : — 



April 24th, 1874. 

 Mr. Parkman : 



Dear Sir : — It seems to me that our library lacks one thing, 

 which, if supplied, would very much increase its usefulness ; 

 namely, a complete index to the plates. At present we have 

 only Pritzel's " Icones," which, although very much better than 

 nothing, is far from being what we need. In the first place, we 

 have a great number of works to which Pritzel gives no reference 

 at all, and that number, of course, is rapidly increasing. I 

 believe that I speak within bounds when I. say that half our plates 

 are unraentioned by him. He gives no space whatever to fruits 

 and fungi (indeed he leaves out all cryptogamic plants except 

 ferns), which is surely a grave omission. Moreover, he has 

 indexed many works which we do not possess, a meritorious thing 

 abstractly considered, but injurious in its application to our needs. 



These faults are irremediable unless a remedy be found in some 

 plan like that which I am about to suggest. My idea is that a 

 catalogue on cards would afford a ready, permanent, and inexpen- 

 sive remedy for the evils of which I have been speaking. As 

 each card would contain the name of only one species or variety, 

 the arrangement could be made strictly alphabetical, for any 

 new plate could have its card slipped in wherever it might belong. 



I have made no estimate of the cost of such an undertaking, 

 but I do not see any reason for its being very great. 

 I am, sir, very respectfull3^ 



W. E. Endicott. 



Adjourned to the first Saturday in June. 



