THE GRAY HERBARIUM OF HARVARD 

 UNIVERSITY 



Extent of the Collection. — The Herbarium, now including more 

 than 500,000 specimens of plants, was founded and largely developed 

 through the untiring efforts of Dr. Asa Gray. It has for many years 

 been the most valuable collection of its land in America, and has 

 contributed, through the publications of its staff, more, than any other 

 establishment to the knowledge of American plants. 



Scientific Services. — It is one of the regular duties of the 

 Herbarium staff to answer gratuitously botanical questions received, 

 and to give an expert opinion upon the identity of plants submitted 

 to it. In this way the Herbarium renders valuable service in the 

 various branches of economic and applied botany, such as pharmacy, 

 horticulture, agriculture, and forestry, since in all these branches an 

 accurate classification of plants is of great importance. 



Constant Growth of the Collection. — In order to keep abreast 

 with the present rapid advance of botanical exploration it is necessary 

 to add annually a large number of carefully classified specimens to 

 the Herbarium. Each year new regions are explored botanically 

 and important sets of specimens are sold by the collectors. These 

 sets, including the types of many new species, must be acquired 

 when offered for sale, if at all, since they are quickly taken up by 

 large herbaria. Should the Gray Herbarium be unable to secure 

 such sets of specimens, it would suffer the same irreparable loss as a 

 library which is obliged temporarily to suspend its purchases of 

 restricted editions. 



To the Patrons of the Gray Herbarium. — For many years the 

 Gray Herbarium was dependent upon gifts for present use to meet 

 a considerable part of its current expenses. Without this aid, 

 it would have been impossible to maintain the continuous growth of 

 the Herbarium, and the undersigned express their grateful apprecia- 

 tion of the important assistance given in response to former circulars. 

 The income of the Herbarium, as now endowed, assures the perma- 

 nence of the establishment and covers all the regular current 



expenses, but it is not sufficient to meet any extraordinary demand 

 such as the expense of further extension and thorough fire-proofing 

 of the present building. Nor will the present income permit the 

 accomplishment of many promising scientific undertakings on the 

 part of the staff both in exploration and publication, which, were 

 further support available, could be brought to a successful comple- 

 tion. Even yet the Gray Herbarium is less well supported than are 

 some similar establishments elsewhere in the United States and in 

 other parts of the world. Under these circumstances it is believed 

 that the patrons who in the past have so cordially helped the Her- 

 barium in making up its deficits may feel even a greater satisfaction 

 in contributing toward its increased growth and usefulness. The 

 amount most frequently given by annual contributors has been ten 

 dollars, though many persons have given larger sums. 



GEORGE E. WHITE 

 JOSEPH H. LEESON 

 GEORGE G. KENNEDY JOHN E. THAYER 



WALTER DEANE MISS SUSAN MINNS 



NATHANIEL T. KIDDER MRS. WILLIAM G. WELD 



EMILE F. WILLIAMS MISS KATHARINE P. LORING 



Boston, March 24, 1918. 



Remittances should be addressed and checks drawn to the Gray Herbarium, 

 Cambridge, Mass. 



Gifts to the Gray Herbarium are acknowledged in the Annual Reports of the 

 President and the Treasurer of Harvard College. 



