”^HE GRAY HERBAR- 
IUM OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY 
By the aid of many patrons the Gray Herbarium 
was able during the past year to meet fully its 
expenses. The collection was again increased by 
more than 15,000 sheets of specimens, and the 
---—— staff was enabled to prosecute valuable research 
and publication in continuance of the work of the late Dr. Asa Gray. 
Clx Considerable increase of endowment through the re- 
endowmcnt cently acquired Gray Memorial Fund, is of great 
service in maintaining the Herbarium and encourages the hope 
that the establishment can at no very distant date be placed upon 
a self-supporting basis. As yet, however, it is necessary to cover 
a part of its expenses by gifts for present use. At the end of the 
current academic year (July 31, 1903) contributions aggregating 
$3400 will be needed for this purpose. 
extent of the The Herbarium, now including more than 500,000 
Collection specimens of plants, was founded and largely de¬ 
veloped through the untiring efforts of Dr. 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 It is one of the regular duties of the Herbarium staff to 
Services 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 In order to keep abreast with the present rapid 
of the Collection 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, through temporary 
lack of funds, 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 book purchases and subscriptions to 
periodicals. 
economy of The establishment is managed with the utmost econ- 
f'letboda omy compatible with the normal development of the 
collection, and continuation of Dr. Gray's invaluable scientific 
work. Any further retrenchment in current expenses would 
necessitate the dismissal of highly trained assistants from the 
Herbarium staff and seriously curtail the usefulness of the estab¬ 
lishment. 
Hid The undersigned, gratefully acknowledging the co-opera- 
Oesired tion of patrons of the Herbarium during the past years, 
and feeling confident that there are in Boston and vicinity many 
persons who, whether especially interested in botany or not, will 
gladly give the sum of $10 or more for the maintenance of such a 
worthy and useful scientific institution, urge each recipient of this 
circular to contribute, if possible, at least this sum toward the sup¬ 
port of the Gray Herbarium. 
Boston, March I, J903. 
FRANCIS H. PEABODY NATHANIEL T. KJDDER 
MOSES WILLIAMS WALTER DEANE 
GEORGE W. HAMMOND MRS. W. B. POTTER 
EMILE F. WILLIAMS JOHN E. THAYER 
GEORGE R. WHITE JOSEPH R. LEESON 
GEORGE G. KENNEDY 
Members of the Visiting Committee 
of the Gray Herbarium. 
Remittances should be addressed and checks drawn to the Curator of the Gray 
Herbarium, Cambridge, Mass. 
Gifts to the Gray Herbarium are acknowledged in the Annual Report of the 
President and Treasurer of Harvard University. 
