168 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. L. No. 1285 



On conclusion of the paper a gentleman proving 

 to be Dr. J. W. Harshberger, of the University of 

 Pennsylvania, introduced himself as a stranger at- 

 tracted to the meeting by its program. He con- 

 gratulated Miss Warner on her paper, and sup- 

 plemented it by a brief acount of interesting dis- 

 coveries he had recently made by roundabout meth- 

 ods in seeking information requested by Dr. Sar- 

 gent, of the Arnold Arboretum, in regard to the 

 Pierce brothers and their nurseries near Kennett 

 Square, Pa., and also alluded to similar methods 

 pursued in regard to William Young, Jr., whose 

 rare "Catalogue des arbres, etc., d'Am^rique" 

 (Paris, 1783), has recently been reproduced in fac- 

 simile by Ehoads. Mr. Ferguson's and Miss War- 

 ner's papers will be published in the Proceedings 

 of the Conference of the American Library Asso- 

 ciation and in the Library Journal. 



Mr. Charles R. Green, librarian, Massachusetts 

 Agricultural College, presented for discussion the 

 subject of "A Union Checklist of Agricultural 

 Periodicals. ' ' He dwelt on the desirability of a list 

 which should make more readily available the pres- 

 ent periodical resources of the agricultural libraries 

 of the country, encouraging interlibrary loans and 

 lessening the unnecessary purchase of little used 

 material, and suggested the possible scope of the 

 list, warning against yielding to the temptation to 

 plan an over large project which it would not be 

 possible to carry out. Should such a list include 

 only periodicals on agriculture and its practically 

 related subjects, such as horticulture and animal 

 husbandry, or should it include also those on its 

 related sciences, such as bacteriology, chemistry, 

 botany, entomology, et-c.f Or would it be best to 

 issue no nationwide check list, but for agricultural 

 librarians to make an effort to have material of 

 interest to them, included in the various regional 

 periodical union check lists which are in prepara- 

 tion or contemplation? 



Miss L. K. Wilkins, chief of the Periodical Di- 

 vision, U. S. Department of Agriculture Library, 

 led the discussion by describing the list of agricul- 

 tural periodicals of the United States and Canada, 

 compiled as a personal undertaking by Mr. S. C. 

 Stuntz, formerly of the Library of Congress, 

 later of the Office of Foreign Seed and Plant 

 Introduction of the Bureau of Plant Industry. 

 The list which is very comprehensive and in 

 manuscript form, was purchased by the library of 

 the U. S. Department of Agriculture after Mr. 

 Stuntz 's death in 1918. Miss Wilkins suggested 

 that this list be used as a basis for the proposed 

 union cheek list of agricultural periodicals, omit- 



ting the historical notes, and biographical sketches 

 of editors. 



Mr. H. O. Severance, librarian of the University 

 of Missouri, said he would like to have the list 

 cover periodicals on all sciences allied to agricul- 

 ture, but the general opinion seemed to be that it 

 should cover only those on agriculture and the 

 branches of agriculture such as animal husbandry, 

 dairying and horticulture. 



Mr. H. W. Wilson, president of the H. W. Wilson 

 Company, described the methods being employed 

 in making up the union check list of periodicals of 

 the central states, and Dr. C. W. Andrews, librar- 

 ian of the John Crerar Library, stated that they 

 would waive exclusive use of the slugs, and would 

 gladly give those for agricultural periodicals to 

 this section, if an agricultural check; list were 

 undertaken. 



After further discussion, a motion was made to 

 ascertain whether the section thought it desirable 

 to undertake the preparation of such a list, on the 

 cooperative plan. The motion was carried unani- 

 mously. Mr. Severance then moved that the chair 

 appoint a committee of three with power to act, 

 and to decide upon methods of compiling and pub- 

 lishing a union cheek list to agricultural periodicals 

 in libraries in the United States. It was under- 

 stood that the committee was to make the final de- 

 cision as to its scope. The following committee 

 was appointed by the chair: Mr. Charles E. Green, 

 chairman, Mr. H. O. Severance and Miss Lydia K. 

 Wilkins. 



The question of a union check list of agricultural 

 periodicals is one of great importance to all scien- 

 tists interested in agriculture. If there are any 

 who have any suggestions to make on the subject, 

 the committee would gladly receive them. 



Eunice E. Oberly 

 Chairman 



SCIENCE 



A Weekly Journal devoted to the Advancement of 

 Science, publishing the official notices and pro- 

 ceedings of the Americein Association for 

 the Advancement of Science 



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LANCASTER, PA. GARRISON, N. Y. 



NEW YORK, N. Y. 



Entered in the pott-office at Lanoutcr, Pa., ai tecoiK] clan matter 



