FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR. 21 
cultivated under glass incident to the recent increases 
in plant houses; the better care that walks, buildings, 
fences, and other structures are now receiving; the in- 
creased labor demanded by trees and shrubbery since the 
planting of the North American tract; and the reduced 
expense of horticultural work. A considerable yearly 
fluctuation in labor required on the walks and lawns is 
largely connected with seasonal differences in precipitation. 
Toward the end of the year, a fire, which originated from 
a defective flue in the boiler pit from which the newer 
range of plant housesis heated, damaged the adjacent struc- 
tures to the extent of about $1,000.00. It chanced that 
about this point, in the hot and intermediate houses, were 
clustered most of the orchids and Platyceriums, and many 
other choice plants, and although the efficient service of 
the fire department reduced the loss on the buildings to an 
inconsiderable sum, the heat and smoke destroyed a large 
part of these collections and so seriously injured the remain- 
der that their recovery is likely to be at best a matter of 
several years’ time. By the prompt action of the Board, 
however, I have been enabled to replace these collections 
by other plants of the same or equally decorative species, 
and it is expected that the early spring will find the orchid 
collection as large, varied and interesting as before the 
fire. In connection with this loss, I wish to record my 
appreciation of the courteous action of the New York. 
Botanical Garden, the Director of which, Dr. N. L. Brit- 
ton, immediately offered us such duplicates as could be 
spared from its collections; and a consignment of 80 plants, 
representing 78 species of orchids, was received from this 
source as soon as the buildings were sufficiently repaired 
for their reception. 
: VISITORS. 
The total number of persons who visited the Garden 
in 1903 was 79,039, of whom 10,516 were recorded for the 
