﻿EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR. 13 



interview reported in one of the daily papers, the exhibit 

 was said by a cultured Japanese visitor "to equal if not 

 surpass the most luxuriant royal exhibits of Japan." The 

 weather during the time that these plants were displayed 

 was phenomenally bad. The maximum temperature ranged 

 between 30° and 4G° F., except once, when it reached 59°, 

 and the minimum lay between 19° and 35° F., except for 

 one night when it marked 41°. Nearly half of the time a 

 dense pall of smoke overhung the city, and for a consider- 

 able part of three days artificial lights were necessary in the 

 Garden office. One day the ground was covered with 2^ 

 inches of snow. It rained on tliree days ; and through two 

 other whole days a heavy sleet storm prevailed. Out of 

 the entire twelve days, there were but three that could be 

 called pleasant, and they were cold and frosty. I wish 

 especially to thank the gardeners and garden pupils who, 

 after having grown the plants to perfection, cared so well 

 for them under a thin shelter of canvas that nearly all con- 

 tinued in good condition for the entire fortnight, and who 

 through the same period aided visitors or stood uncom- 

 plainingly in the cold awaiting a demand for their services. 

 The press, as always, was of much assistance in calling public 

 attention to the flowers; and, as was the case last year, 

 the street car company hung special placards on many of 

 its cars. My thanks for these helps in bringing the attrac- 

 tions of the Garden before the public cannot be too strongly 

 expressed. Above all, I desire to record my appreciation 

 of the assistance rendered by Captain Robert McCulloch, 

 of the United Railways Company, who, when the smoke- 

 cloud made it impossible for those who came to the Garden 

 to see anything, and when ordinary service could not be 

 promised within less than two or three days, installed an 

 ample circuit pf electric lights in the tent in less than two 

 hours from the time that his aid was asked. 



Notwithstanding the storms and darkness, 16,932 per- 

 sons saw the chr5^santhemums. For the first time in its 

 history, the Garden was opened (for this feature) until ten 

 o'clock at night on the last eight days of the ^exhibition 

 and although half of the open evenings were stormy, 2,657, 



