358 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The number of pamphlets received this year b}' purchase and 

 otherwise has been ver}- large, and includes many of great interest 

 and value ; those on forestry have been surprisingly numerous. 



The Committee would particularl}- mention, among other dona- 

 tions to the Librar}', the bequest of Mrs. Ellen A. Cooke (widow of 

 Henry C. Cooke, who was a member of the Society) of her library 

 of horticultural works. Besides those mentioned in the list of 

 library accessions, the bequest comprised a large number of dupli- 

 cates of books already in the librar}', which it is not necessary to 

 enumerate. 



In the first part of the year the condition of the collection of 

 ferns presented by Mr. Davenport was discussed and a report has 

 been drawn up in reference to it bj' Mr. Humphrey, which, having 

 been adopted b^^ this Committee, is here given : — 



To the President and Members of the Massachusetts Ilorticid- 

 tural Society. 



Gentlemen : 



The Library Committee desires to call your attention to the val- 

 uable herbarium of North American Ferns, the gift of Mr. George 

 E. Davenport to the Society. 



When presented in 1875 it contained one hundred and sixteen 

 species and many varieties, there being credited as growing north 

 of Mexico at that time one hundred and thirty-one species and 

 twenty-five varieties. 



At the present time there are known in those limits thirty-two 

 genera comprising one hundred and sixty-five species and twenty- 

 four varieties, recognizing as varieties onh' such forms as appear 

 to be permanent. The herbarium is now complete, as it contains 

 specimens of all the ferns included in the above-mentioned genera, 

 species, and varieties ; embracing seven hundred sheets and about 

 twenty-five hundred specimens, each species and variet}' being 

 represented by numerous fronds, showing its various stages of 

 growth as well as its range of distribution. 



The herbarium is especially rich in Botrychia, that genus being 

 represented by nearly four hundred specimens in an iiniumerable 

 variety of forms. 



The Asplenia, Aspidia, and Cheilanthes are also extensively 

 represented ; the last, especially, showing probably the largest 

 collection of some species to be found in any herbarium, including 



