LIBRARY. 345 



a minimum of delay and witli less handling of the journals themselves. It 

 was finally decided to mimeograph the current titles indexed for the Botanical 

 Catalogue, and circulate these in lieu of the i>eriodicals, which should them- 

 selves be kept on call for a certain time in the periodical room. The first of 

 these lists, covering publicatioLS indexed January 31 to February 15, 1919, 

 was issued February 25, and they have since appeared, with some changes in 

 arrangement, every two weeks, apparently forming a pretty satisfactory sub- 

 stitute for the circulation of the journals. Next in importance to the work 

 of indexing and keeping up the main catalogue is probably the assistance on 

 the African section of the Inquiry-Vegetation, made by Col. House's Commis- 

 sion. The literature of African botany and exploration was examined and 

 listed by Miss At wood, who determined the bibliographic form to be used in 

 connection with abstracts of literature which were made under tlie direction 

 of Dr. H. L. Shantz. 



The additions to the Horticultural Bibliography have been only about 400 

 (Mitries, fairly divided between modern and early literature. The chief ex- 

 penditure of labor has been on the subject index, which now covers -over 

 three-fourths of the entire list, over half the total of some 11,000 titles being 

 indexed during the year. 



While the work on the Index of Illustrations has been necessarily subordi- 

 nated to some of the more vital emergencies of the year, the index has made 

 excellent progress. Several imiiortant recent works have been indexed, as 

 Bonnier's Flore complete illustr^ en couleurs (1911- ), Marloth's Flora of 

 South Africa (1913-15), Sim's Forests and Forest Flora of Cape of Good Hope 

 (1907), and his Forest Flora of Portuguese East Africa (1909). liesides these, 

 as a general rule, works which come up in connection with the African Inquiry 

 have been indexed both for their illustrations and for the Botanical Catalogue 

 as well. 



Work on the Depository Catalogue or union list of botanical books based 

 on the set of depository cards received from the Library of Congress has 

 been almost at a standstill, only the current printed cards from the Library 

 (f Congress and the John Crerar being added. To get in touch with others 

 interested in similar bibliographical work, notes have been published in the 

 (iardeners' ('hronicle calling attention to the Horticultural Bibliography car- 

 ried on under our project (Gardeners' Chronicle III, 64: 194-195, Nov. 16, 

 ]91S), and on the horticultural literature in the Department Library (1. c. 

 65:247, May 24, 1919). 



PUBLICATIONS. 



The only printed publications issued by the Library during the 

 year were the report of the Library for the fiscal year 1918. a 

 pamphlet of 16 pages, and Library leaflet No. 8, entitled "Homo 

 Gardening." The leaflet of four pages, which had an attractive 

 cover design in two colors made by the artist, Miss Gertrude Spaller, 

 contained a list of publications on home gardening and was prepared 

 at the request of the Office of Horticultural and Pomological Investi- 

 gations to assist in the home gardening campaign. A similar 

 Library leaflet on Dairying and new editions of the earlier Library 

 leaflets on Poultry Raising, Pig Raising, and Sheep Raising were 

 also prepared, but for lack of printing funds could not be published. 



" A Check List of the Publications of the Department of Agricul- 

 ture Relating to Plant Pathology," prepared by the library of the 

 Bureau of Plant Industry, Avas issued in June, 1919, in multigraphed 

 form as no. 1 of a new series of Bibliographical Contributions of 

 the Library of the Department. 



LIBRARY STAFF. 



The number of employees carried on the roll of the main Library 

 at the close of the year was 33, with two of the lower positions 

 vacant; the number employed by the bureau, division, and office 



151352'* 19 23 



