84 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 



dered complete. In this connection it raay not be inappropriate to refer to 

 ■what is, perhaps, the greatest addition made to the Library during the past 

 year. The set of Curtis's Botanical Magazine was incomplete by the whole 

 of the second series and several odd volumes, and, on account of the rarity of 

 the volumes wanting, it was deemed impossible ever to complete the set. 



Through the exertions of a member of the Committee, and by means of that 

 gentleman's foreign correspondence, all the missing volumes have been ob- 

 tained, and are now in suitable binding upon the Library shelves. The value 

 of this addition cannot well be over-estimated ; in addition to procuring a 

 series of rare and valuable works, we complete our set, thus more than doubl- 

 ing the value of those volumes we already possessed. 



During the past year two vacancies have occurred in the Committee ; one 

 caused by the expulsion of Mr. Wm. A. Harris from the Society, the other by 

 the resignation of Mr. J. Otis Williams, who had acted most acceptably as 

 Secretary of the Committee, he having received a military appointment. 

 These vacancies were filled at the quarterly meeting of the Society, in July, 

 by the choice of George W. Pratt, Esq., in place of Mr. Harris, and of John 

 Lothrop, Esq., in place of Mr. Williams ; Mr. Lothrop was also elected Secre- 

 tary of the Committee, which post he now fills. 



As there may be many books which should be in the Society's Library, but 

 which may not come under the notice of the Committee, notices of such 

 books may be handed to the Librarian, and they will be added to the Library 

 as the funds may permit, at the discretion of the Committee. Your Committee 

 would again call the attention of the Society to the importance of providing a 

 fire-proof library room. Should our Library be destroyed by fire the loss 

 would be irreparable ; and no insurance could make good our loss. During 

 the last summer, by the burning of a neighboring building, we were in some 

 danger. This end can only be obtained by the erection of a new hall by the 

 Society, for which your Committee trust early measures will be taken by the 

 Society. Your Committee would also suggest to the Society, the inexpedien- 

 cy of confining the purchase of books to those solely treating on Horticulture, 

 but would recommend that the Library be so extended as to embrace other 

 branches of Natural History, connected with botanical research, such as Zool- 

 ogy, Ornithology, Entomology, &c. 



The following works have been added to the Library during the past year, 

 from the Library fund, many of them works of rarity and value and elegantly 

 illustrated : — 



Volumes ], 2, and 3, of the Natural History of the United States, by Louis 

 Agassiz ; presented by George W. Pratt, Esq. 



American Cyclopsedia, Vol. IL 



Transactions of the Royal Agricultural Society, Vol. 20. 



Address before the Essex Agricultural Society, by J. Lewis Russell. 



Transactions of the New York State Agricultural Society, for 1859. 



Transactions of the Linnsean Society; 21 vols., quarto, beautifully illustrated. 



Andrews' Heaths; fine colored plates, 6 vols. 



