BULLETIN OF THE BUSSEY INSTITUTION. 293 
No. 13.— Report of the Director of the Arnold Arboretum, 
presented to the President and Fellows of Harvard Uni- 
versity.  ~ 
To THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY: — 
Srir,—I have the honor to submit the following report of the 
present condition- of the ARNOLD ARBORETUM, and of its progress 
during the two years which have passed since I was intrusted with 
the direction of its formation. 
_ The very limited means at the disposal of the Director have, of 
necessity, made these two years, years of preparation and organization. 
A Catalogue of the ligneous plants growing spontaneously, or by in- 
troduction, previous to 1872, on that portion of the “ Bussey Farm” which 
is to be devoted to the Arboretum, has been made. (See Appendix A.) 
The soil and indigenous growth on the various portions of the 
grounds have been carefully studied with a view to a proper determi- 
nation of the permanent location of the various collections, and several 
thousand trees and shrubs have been raised for the future plantations. 
(See Appendix B.) 
An inspection of the trees already growing in the Arboretum 
showed that many of them were in a miserable condition from long 
neglect of proper thinning, and the consequent want of food, light, and 
air. ‘To remedy this as far as possible, the woods and old plantations 
have been gradually thinned out, the weak, deformed, and unhealthy 
plants being cut first, and then such as interfered with fine single 
‘specimens, or with specimens of only occasional occurrence. Jeturn- 
ing health in many of the trees, and the greatly improved appearance 
of the woods and belts of timber is already apparent, although the 
operation of thinning out old woodlands, with a view to forming 
healthy, well-developed trees, is necessarily a slow one, and must be 
extended over many years. 
Already many noble specimens of some of the finest native trees are 
scattered through the open portions of the grounds, promising dignity 
and interest to the Arboretum, and proving that the situation is par- 
ticularly adapted to the use to which it is to be devoted. 
I am under deep obligation to Dr. Asa Gray for the valuable assist- 
ance and advice with which he has honored me from the very outset 
