14 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. 
needed plant house, 21 X 97 feet, was erected in the sum- 
mer, just south of the Victoria pond, and is adding greatly 
to the attractiveness of the Garden through the winter. 
Numerous minor improvements have been reported to the 
Board in detail, month by month. 
The fruticetum, reported on at various times in the past,* 
has been further improved this year by the removal of all 
of the old and worthless apple trees and grape vines and 
the laying of 1,630 feet of drain tile, and is to be largely 
replanted in the spring to carefully selected varieties of 
fruit. The appearance of this inclosure has been greatly 
enhanced by the replacement of the dilapidated picket 
fence separating it from the arboretum, by a neat open 
wire fence. It is hoped that these horticultural improve- 
ments may be extended by the erection in the near future 
of a much needed vegetable forcing house, with a grapery 
compartment. 
During the year, some 950 packets of seeds and 1,000 
plants have been received by way of donation or exchange, 
and 850 packets of seeds and a few dozen plants distributed. 
The largest of the accessions consisted in 952 plants, many 
of them of great value, received from South Park, of 
Chicago. A limited number, aside from bulbs and other 
transient plants, have also been added to the Garden by 
purchase. Some 26,900 bedding plants were propagated 
at the Garden for out-of-door decoration, — an increase of 
some 6,000 as compared with the preceding year. On the 
approach of winter, some 1,100 of these were taken from 
the ground and potted, and distributed to charitable institu- 
tions and poor homes in the city, through the kindness of 
the Bethel Association, to whose officers I wish to express 
my indebtedness. 
While much remains to be desired, the labeling of the 
plants of the Garden is being greatly improved each year, 
and [ hope that it will not be long before every plant will 
* Garden Reports, ii. 18-20, 30; iii. 12. 
