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REPORT OF THE OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 17 
the southern extension of the grounds as so enlarged, 
limited by Tower Grove, Magnolia and Alfred Avenues, 
has been graded, drained and supplied with water pipes, and 
planted with a collection of about 1,400 species of plants, 
forming a synopsis of the North American flora, which is 
soon to be opened to the public. Thecost of this addition, 
aside from the land purchased, has been $21,286.34, — of 
which $9,045.99 was for grading, $3,116.66 for the water 
supply, $2,900.00 for drains, and the remainder for plant- 
ing and minor improvements. 
‘GARDENING. 
On the maintenance of the Garden, including ordinary 
improvements, an average of $43,675.33 a year has been 
spent. Of this, an average of $23,271.39 is for wages 
of gardeners and laborers, repairs and supplies, fuel, 
water, additions to the living plants, and other sim- 
ilar gardening purposes. The annual expenditure on 
the Garden office, including salaries of the Director and 
Superintendent, averages $5,217.67. The Board have 
acquiesced in the Director’s belief that it is impossible for 
the Garden to stand still, and provision for maintenance 
has therefore been on a basis permitting rather small but 
continuous development from year to year. 
By the addition of the North American Synopsis, the 
area of the grounds has been enlarged from 44.7 to about 
65 acres, or nearly one-half. In 1889 the plant houses cov- 
ered 14,840 square feet of ground; they now occupy 30,740 
square feet, an increase of 107%. Propagating frames have 
been increased from 2,200 to 5,750 square feet, or 161%. 
It has been estimated that not over 2,000 or 3,000 kinds of 
plants were cultivated at the time when the Board took 
charge of the Garden. In 1895, after an accurate system of 
recording plant accessions had been introduced, the number 
of species and varieties was inventoried at 3,921, exclusive 
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