REPORT 



COMMITTEE ON THE LIBRARY, 



FOR THE YEAR 1888. 



The report of this Committee can vary but little from year to 

 year. The growth of the Library, the progress of the Catalogue 

 of Plates, and many other matters have been ver}' much the same 

 in 1888 as in 1887. 



No one, therefore, will be surprised at the repetition of the state- 

 ment that our accommodations are insufficient for the books we 

 have, to say nothing of future acquisitions. Some time ago plans 

 were made for a galler}', by means of which the upper part of the 

 walls of this room could be made use of and an amount of space 

 obtained which would probably suffice for j^ears to come. The 

 matter seemed likely to receive the serious and favorable attention 

 which it deserved, but the project of building on the Public Garden 

 was proposed and the whole affair was dropped and apparently 

 forgotten. 



We are well aware that importunity is wearisome, but we feel 

 that we shall fail in our duty if we neglect to urge yet again that 

 this plan or some other more feasible one be speedily carried out. 

 The items of expense will be slightly different but their sum will 

 be nearl}' the -same and we believe will not be burdensome to the 

 Society. 



The librar}- is worth}^ of the expenditure. Tlie objects of this 

 Society' cannot be carried out b}' the mechanical processes of 

 gardening alone ; like all other undertakings they need the quick- 

 ening spirit which only the exercise of the intellect can infuse. 

 With rare exceptions, growing constantly rarer, in whatever 

 direction the inquirer may seek, the information he needs is here ; 

 notonlj- in the so-called "practical" books of details of cultivation, 

 but in the equally useful treatises of botanical structure, upon 

 which successful hybridization depends, or with the geographical 



