ANNUAL REPORT 



OF THE 



Secretary of the Worcester Co. Horticultural Society. 



To the Members of the Worcester County Horticultural Society : 



In making his annual report to the Society, the marked improvement in the 

 library would seem to command the first attention of the officer to whom its care 

 is chiefly entrusted. 



The handsome cases which form so conspicuous an ornament of this room, 

 supply a want of which strong complaint has heretofore been uttered. A large 

 extent of shelving is secured, enabling a better arrangement, and allowing some 

 opportunity, however imperfect, for classification. And yet, as will be obvious 

 upon cursory inspection, the space so obtained is almost entirely filled. Al- 

 though in some measure this result was brought about by a re-location of vol- 

 umes in obedience partly to their intrinsic value, with a view of forming a collec- 

 tion for consultation as distinct from circulation and issue, yet is it also to a grat- 

 ifyino- extent attributable to the unsolicited gift of individuals. Especially note- 

 worthy are the four volumes of " Contributions to the Natural History of the 

 United States, by Louis Agassiz,'' which were presented by Mrs. Levi Lincoln. 

 Your Librarian had also a chance, of which he was happy to avail himself, to 

 contribute a lot of fifty-six volumes, of unequal merit it is true, yet none, it is 

 hoped entirely destitute of value. Hons. John D. Baldwin, and Andrew H. 

 Green have continued to place us under obligations. From our eminent asso- 

 ciate, Charles Downing, Esq., was received very recently a new edition of the 

 work of his lamented brother upon the Fruit and Fruit Trees of America, 

 which has been so completely revised and enlarged as to justify the appelation 

 of an original treatise. 



The whole number of separate volumes acquired during the past official year, 

 whether by gift or purchase, amounts to one hundred and seven. A list of them 

 by their titles is herewith submitted for your more exact information : — 



