Condition. — It  is  generally  conceded  that  the  collections  of  the 
Herbarium  are  unsurpassed  in  the  excellence  of  their  preservation, 
completeness  of  their  classification,  their  neatness,  order,  and  ready 
accessibility. 
Research  and  Exploration.  — Investigations  of  the  Gray  Her¬ 
barium  staff  have  in  recent  years  included  the  floras  of  such  diverse 
regions  as  Labrador,  Newfoundland,  Sable  Island,  the  Magdalens, 
Nova  Scotia,  Quebec,  Idaho,  Southern  California,  Mexico,  Colombia, 
Venezuela,  Curasao,  British,  Dutch  and  French  Guiana,  Brazil, 
Ecuador,  Bolivia,  Peru,  the  deserts  of  northern  Chile  and  the  Andes 
of  northwestern  Argentina,  as  well  as  Angola  and  Konya  Colony  in 
tropical  Africa.  All  these  regions  have  yielded  their  quota  of  plants 
new  to  science  and  other  discoveries  often  of  practical  as  well  as 
theoretical  importance. 
Publications.  —  The  publications  range  from  floras,  technical 
monographs,  and  extended  bibliographies  of  high  excellence  to  semi- 
popular  accounts  of  discoveries  of  surprising  diversity,  such  as  the 
soil-preferences  of  plants,  the  historic  development  of  floras,  botanical 
evidence  as  to  the  site  of  the  early  Norse  settlements  in  America, 
proofs  of  post-glacial  land-bridges  along  now  submerged  portions 
of  the  Atlantic  coastal  shelf,  and  the  presence  of  relic  floras  in  non- 
glaciated  areas. 
Relations.  —  As  one  of  the  major  botanical  establishments  of  the 
world  the  Gray  Herbarium  stands  in  relations  of  mutual  helpfulness 
to  such  well-known  institutions  as  the  Royal  Botanic  Gardens  at 
Kew,  the  British  Museum,  the  Museum  of  Natural  History  at  Paris, 
as  well  as  similar  establishments  at  Geneva  and  elsewhere.  In  recent 
years  it  has  been  cooperating  particularly  with  the  New  York  Botani¬ 
cal  Garden  and  the  U.  S.  National  Museum  in  various  enterprises 
of  tropical  exploration.  It  should  be  remarked  that  of  all  these  great 
botanical  establishments  the  Gray  Herbarium  is  almost  the  only  one 
which  does  not  enjoy  governmental,  state,  or  municipal  aid. 
To  the  Patrons  of  the  Gray  Herbarium. — During  the  past  three 
years  thirty-two  friends  of  the  Herbarium,  by  subscriptions  to  the 
Asa  Gray  Memorial  Fund,  have  together  contributed  about  $17,300 
to  its  further  endowment.  This  brings  a  measure  of  relief  which  is 
much  appreciated.  However,  the  income  from  the  funds  of  the 
Herbarium  has  since  1914  advanced  only  about  15  per  cent,  while 
the  cost  of  specimens,  instruments  and  other  equipment,  mounting 
paper,  chemicals,  and  all  supplies,  books,  periodicals,  and  printing 
have  advanced  from  30  to  more  than  100  per  cent.  Under  these 
circumstances  it  will  be  readily  understood  that  in  spite  of  cautious 
management  the  unavoidable  expenses  of  the  establishment  have 
now  reached  a  point  at  wdiich  it  will  be  needful  to  curtail  the  normal 
growth  of  the  collections,  restrict  in  important  ways  the  undertakings 
of  the  staff,  and,  what  is  most  regrettable,  lose  the  services  of  highly 
trained  assistants,  unless  its  work  can  have  somewhat  increased  sup¬ 
port.  Many  persons  have  in  the  past  aided  the  Herbarium  by  annual 
contributions.  Without  this  assistance  it  would  have  been  impos¬ 
sible  for  the  Herbarium  to  have  undertaken  many  scientific  enter¬ 
prises  in  exploration  and  publication  which  have  been,  with  such  aid, 
brought  to  successful  and  gratifying  completion. 
At  this  time  scientific  investigation  in  Europe  is  seriously  crippled. 
This  brings  to  American  establishments  an  exceptional  opportunity 
for  important  service  in  carrying  forward  work  on  problems  of 
much  interest  and  in  many  of  their  aspects  of  considerable  signi¬ 
ficance  to  human  welfare.  From  these  considerations  it  is  believed 
that  the  patrons  who  have  in  the  past  aided  the  Gray  Herbarium 
will  feel  willing  to  continue  and  where  possible  increase  such  assist¬ 
ance  during  the  present  year,  and  that  others  may  be  inclined  to 
contribute  to  maintain  at  its  highest  efficiency  the  work  of  this 
notable  establishment. 
Certain  patrons,  desiring  to  perpetuate  the  assistance  rendered 
by  their  annual  gifts,  have  capitalized  them  by  legacy,  thus  conferring 
lasting  and  greatly  appreciated  benefit  upon  the  establishment. 
Proper  form  for  such  bequest  is  as  follows  : 
“I  give  and  bequeath  to  the  President  and  Fellows  of  Harvard 
College  the  sum  of . dollars,  the  income  of  which 
is  to  be  applied  to  the  maintenance  of  the  Gray  Herbarium.” 
NATHANIEL  T.  ICfDDER,  Chairman.  MISS  SUSAN  MINNS 
WALTER  DEANE  FRANCIS  W.  HUNNEWELT. 
EMILE  F.  WILLIAMS  MRS.  RICHARD  C.  CURTIS 
JOHN  E.  THAYER  LIBERTY  H.  BAILEY 
JOSEPH  A.  CUSHMAN  FREDERIC  G.  CARNOCHAN 
Members  of  the  Visiting  Committee 
of  the  Gray  Herbarium. 
Boston,  April  2,  1928. 
Remittances  should  he  addressed  and  checks  drawn  to  the  Or  ay  Herbarium, 
Cambridge ,  Mass. 
