(415) 
Richards were approved, and certain important rules were 
adopted for the government of the officers of the Garden. 
The general principle embodied in these rules is that the time 
of the officer belongs to the Garden, and that no outside work 
should be done without the written permission of the Director- 
in-Chief, and also that all writings of salaried officers of the 
Garden, intended for publication, should be approved by the 
Director-in-Chief before being printed. The final agree- 
ment between the Botanical Garden and Columbia Uni- 
versity regarding certain periodicals taken by the latter and 
deposited with the Garden, was ratified, and the purchase of 
meteorological apparatus for the recording of data at the 
Garden, beginning with January 1, 1900, was approved. 
Rules were adopted regarding the loaning of specimens and 
books from the collections or Library of the Garden, which 
are necessary to prevent the loss of valuable material. Steps 
were also taken to bring before your Honorable Body, the 
desirability of purchasing an additional collection from Mr. 
J. B. Ellis, of Newfield, N. J., which action has been duly 
reported in the regular routine. Important plans were ap- 
proved for the primary installation of the living plant collec- 
tions in the great conservatory of the Garden during the year 
1g00. The necessity of making a proper display in the hor- 
ticultural-houses which are now approaching completion, has 
been deeply felt by the Board of Scientific Directors, and it 
is their ambition to carry out the scheme in a way that will 
seem worthy of the enterprise and of the city. 
From these general statements, it will be seen that although 
the Museum has not been completed for occupancy, yet the 
work of instruction of the Garden has already been begun. 
The Museum is so nearly finished, however, that all the pre- 
liminaries have been arranged to enable the Garden to enter 
upon one of the chief fields of its activity. It is doubtful 
whether any more important year in the history of the Gar- 
den will be passed than the one now closing. 
Very respectfully yours, 
SztH Low, 
Chairman. 
