REPORT 



Secretary and Librarian, 



FOR THE YEAR 1886. 



The duties of these offices, with all their leading attendant 

 circumstances, are each year so similar to those of the preceding 

 that it is difficult to avoid a great degree of sameness in the an- 

 nual reports. Whatever ditference exists is in the details rather 

 than in the prominent features ; therefore a certain degree of 

 monotony in the reports is not to be escaped except by going more 

 full}' into details than time will allow, or than the patience of the 

 Society would endure. Moreover an unusually full report was 

 made last year, which to a great extent will obviate the necessity 

 of elaboration at the present time. 



In the office of Secretary, the keeping of various records, mak- 

 ing reports of meetings and exhibitions, preparing matter for the 

 press and attending to the printing, answering inquiries person- 

 ally and by mail, and a round of similar duties have fully occu- 

 pied all the time that could be devoted to them. It will be noticed 

 that the publications have, during the last few years, gradually 

 increased in bulk : and if we may credit the favorable notices 

 which have appeared in horticultural journals, both in this country 

 and in Europe, a still more gratifying increase may be observed 

 in the interest with which they are regarded. 



The greatly increased success of the larger exhibitions of the 

 Society within the last few years has not been attained without a 

 corresponding addition to the labors of the Secretary, both pre- 

 liminary to, and consequent on, the exhibitions. 



In regard to the Lil)rary, I would sa}* that whatever time can be 

 gained by diligence and method elsewhere, finds full employment 

 here. The work whicii may })e done to good purpose upon a 



i 



