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Account of property held by the Institute February 1, 1863.

Real estate-No. 351 Broadway and No.

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$40,378 40

Office furniture and fixtures, iron safes, case of models

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REPORT

OF THE LIBRARY COMMITTEE OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE, 1863.

The report submitted by the Library Committee to the Institute, at its stated meeting in the month of December, was merely a brief statement of its operations up to that period. Your committee now beg leave to submit their Annual Report, as directed by section 49 of the by-laws.

The present and past year have been rendered memorable in the annals of our history, and but little encouragement has been offered to make any unusual efforts to extend the usefulness of this branch of the Institute, either to its members or to the public. Yet, while surrounded with discouraging influences, your committee have not disponded in their labors, although they have not been disposed to make the usual annual additions of books to the library. They have consequently restricted their purchases to such books as seemed absolutely necessary to supply the wants of those members whose pursuits are more particularly of a scientific character.

Their monthly meetings have been held regularly, at all of which a quorum of members have been present; and many of them have been attended by the whole committee.

The number of volumes in the library, at the date of the

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It may not be uninteresting to the Institute to know that your committee are somewhat extensively connected by correspondence and exchanges with kindred institutions, both in our own and other countries; they, therefore, deem it not inappropriate to specify them. They comprise the following:

AUSTRIA.-Engineers' Society, Vienna.
Garden Culture Society, Vienna.

Imperial Royal Agricultural Society, Vienna.

Trades' Society, Vienna.

BATAVIA.-Batavian Society of Arts and Sciences.
FRANCE.-Academy of Science, Paris.
Agricultural Society of France, Paris.
Horticultural Society of France, Paris.
Imperial Society d'Acclimation, Paris.
Imperial Society of Emulation d'Abbeville.
Library of the city of Paris.

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Minister of Agriculture and Commerce, Paris.

Museum of Natural History of France.

National Assembly, France.

National Academy of Rouen.

Society for the Encouragement of National Industry.
GREAT BRITAIN.—Royal Agricultural Society of England.
Society of Arts, London.

Highland Agricultural Society of Scotland.

CANADA.-Mechanics' Institute, Montreal.

Natural History Society, Montreal.

Library, city of Montreal.

Mechanics' Institute, Toronto.

RUSSIA. Imperial Library, St. Petersburg.

Imperial Academy, St. Petersburg.

Imperial Free Economic Society of St. Petersburg.
Horticultural Society of St. Petersburg.

Imperial Society of Agriculture, Moscow.

UNITED STATES.-Agricultural College, Michigan.

American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Mass.

Burlington County, N. J., Society of History and Natural Sciences.

Brooklyn Horticultural Society.

Franklin Institute of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

Harvard College Library.

Illinois State Agricultural Society.

Maine Board of Agriculture.

Massachusetts Board of Agriculture.

Michigan State Agricultural Society.

Maryland Institute, Baltimore.

Maryland Historical Society, Baltimore.

Mercantile Library Association, New York.
Nantucket Atheneum.

Naval Lyceum, Brooklyn.

New Jersey State Agricultural Society.
New Hampshire Agricultural Society.
New Hampshire Historical Society..
New Orleans Academy of Sciences.
Ohio State Agricultural Society.
Patent Office, Washington, D. C.
Pennsylvania Agricultural Society.

Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture.

Providence Atheneum.

Pottsville Library, Pottsville, Pa.

Rhode Island Historical Society.

Rhode Island Society for the Encouragement of Domestic Industry. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C.

State Library, Providence, R. I.

Union College, Schenectady, N. Y.

Vermont Historical Society.

Waterbury Young Men's Institute, Connecticut.

Wisconsin State Agricultural Society.

Wisconsin State Historical Society.

Wisconsin University Library.

Yale College, New Haven, Conn.

Young Men's Mercantile Library, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Owing to the temporarily diminished resources of the Institute, your committee deem it inexpedient to ask a further appropriation of money for their use at present. There remains subject to their draft, of an unexpended appropriation, the sum of $83.06, with which it is hoped their successors will be able to meet all obligations that may be incurred by them during the next year. It cannot be denied that the library rooms present one of the most attractive features of the Institute; they are well warmed and lighted, and offer inducements to its members to frequent them often. The most instructive and interesting periodicals are at their command, while those who are more particularly interested in agriculture and science, will always find standard works upon those subjects to aid them in their researches. Nor should it be forgotten that the Institute offers attractions to those who are not specially devoted to these interesting and important objects. It is centrally located, easy of access, the annual dues are small, and if no higher motive than that of economy were urged, it is doubtful if any public institution in the city offers superior inducements, or where one can pass an evening more satisfactorily or profitably, especially when it is considered that every member is

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