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 kind 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 

 Herbai'ium 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 arc quickly taken up by 

 large herbaria. Should the G-ray Herbarium be unable to seciu-e 

 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 yeais 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, 

 nor does it give the management much freedom in purchasing desir- 

 able collections either of rare specimens or of books which from 

 time to time come upon the market. Furthermore the present in- 

 come will not permit the accomplishment of many promising scientiiic 

 undertakings on the part of the staff both in exploration and publica- 

 tion, which, were further support available, could be brought to a 

 successful completion. 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 circum- 

 stances it is believed that the patrons who in the past have so 

 cordially helped the Herbarium 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. 



NATHANIEL T. KIDDER JOSEPH R. LEESON 



Chair 



JOHN B. THAYEE 



GEORGE G. KENNEDY MISS SUSAN MINNS 



WALTER DEANE MRS. WILLIAM G. WELD 



EMILE F. WILLIAMS MISS KATHARINE P. LOEING 

 GEOEGE B. WHITE 



Boston, March 22, 1915 



Remittances should he addressed and checks drawn io the Gray Herbarium, 

 Cambridge, Mass. 



Oifts io the Oray Herbarium are aclmo wledged in the Annual Rej)orts of the 

 President and the Treasurer of Harvard OoUege. 



