(2) 



This collection is now the most completely installed and 

 furnishes satisfactory illustration of 105 different natural 

 families. It has been constantly used by students and by the 

 public and has become an important educational feature, and 

 this without in any way marring the natural beauty of the 

 valley, while furnishing in color and in form a very attractive 

 area of the Garden. 



2. Fruticetum. The collection of sl\rubs, arranged in 

 natural families on the plain northeast of the museum build- 

 ing, has been greatly increased in number of species, through 

 plants drawn from the nurseries and other sources. A note- 

 worthy addition to it was made in the autumn by the purchase 

 from the Biltmore estate in North Carolina, of a large num- 

 ber of specimens representing species not hitherto in the col- 

 lection. Here, as in the herbaceous grounds, it has been 

 necessary to take considerable more land under cultivation to 

 accommodate the newly-planted shrubs and to give sufficient 

 space to those previously planted, the design being to permit 

 each individual shrub to assume its natural form and charac- 

 ter in so far as conditions will permit. The collection now 

 contains about 450 species, being a gain of about no species 

 over the record for 1899, and is sufficiently developed to well 

 represent the natural families containing shrubs hardy in this 

 latitude ; it has also been considerably used by students. 



3. Salicetum. The development of the collection of wil- 

 lows in the marshy grounds north of the fruticetum and 

 near the northern end of the Garden has been continued by 

 the planting of additional species moved from the nurseries; 

 sufficient time has not yet elapsed for these shrubs and trees to 

 attain their true character, but the collection is in good order, 

 though not yet conspicuous ; about 40 species are represented 

 there. 



4. Arboretum. The planting of trees in the region east 

 of the Bronx River in accordance with the general plan has 

 been continued, the number of deciduous species now rep- 

 resented in this collection being 150; this number added to 

 the 50 species native to the grounds, and to the pines, yews 



