(483) 



Avenue to the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad, 

 built of 24-inch double-strength pipe, has been successfully 

 completed to that point, and connected with the 36-inch brick 

 sewer formerly built by the railroad company under the bridge. 

 To continue this work an excavation of about twenty-six feet 

 in depth will be necessary, at the easterly side of the railroad, 

 for a distance of fifty feet ; and of about seven feet in depth 

 f° r 35° ^ eet to connect with the drainage-system constructed 

 by the Devlin Co. 



Seven catch-basins have been constructed, and connected 

 with the main drains, six of them of brick and portland 

 cement, and one of double-strength sewer-pipe, 24 inches in 

 diameter and six feet in depth, all with cast-iron covers. 



There was laid 390 feet of 6-inch earthenware pipe, to con- 

 nect three basins, near the path in front of the conservatories, 

 with the main drain ; and 120 feet to connect a basin near the 

 Manhattan Railway approach ; in all we have laid about 640 

 feet of 6-inch pipe to connect the newly constructed basins. 



A drainage-system has been completed in the north mead- 

 ows, west of the Bronx River, and about 7,000 feet of 1-, 2-, 

 3-, 4-, 5-, 6- and 8-inch porous pipe and sewer-pipe has been 

 laid, and connected with a brick basin near the river shore, 

 emptying into the river. At the lowest point a culvert about 

 116 feet in length has been constructed, of 24-inch double- 

 strength sewer-pipe, laid on a concrete of portland cement 

 and broken stone, under the road and paths in course of con- 

 struction, and connected by an open trench with the river. 



Grading and Sodding. 



The grading and sodding south and east of the museum 

 building is nearly completed, also the grading of the grounds 

 west and southwest of the conservatories. Much of the sod 

 and topsoil used for that purpose had to be hauled from the 

 new road and path-lines of the fruticetum. We have sowed 

 about 6,500 square yards of surface in various parts of the 

 grounds. A pond for water-plants at the herbaceous grounds, 

 in course of construction at my last annual report, was com- 

 pleted early in the spring. 



