44 COLUMBIAN INSTITUTE FOR THE 



wide and 2$ feet deep. There is also a drain from the spring leading to the 

 pond through the center of the ground, and from the pond to Tiber Creek, with 

 a conduit at the lower side of the pond by which water can be either let into, 

 or out of, the pond. At high water and a spring tide, 2i feet of water flows into 

 the pond, which can be there confined by putting a plug into the bore of the 

 log ; or the water can be nearly all let out and kept out. The island wants still 

 to be leveled for cultivation, and the upper side of the pond to be deepened to 

 produce a level. 



Four walks have been laid out, one on Pennsylvania Avenue, one on Maryland 

 Avenue, one opposite the circular road around the west side of the Capitol, 

 and one in the center of the ground leading to the pond. The three walks on 

 the side of the garden are 20 feet wide, with borders of 26 feet, in which to 

 plant trees and shrubs ; the center walk or road is 15 feet wide ; the whole is well 

 graveled. The commissioners appointed to drain and improve the public grounds 

 on the south side of Pennsylvania Avenue have been very liberal in contributing 

 to these improvements. They have given $100 in cash, and have done all the 

 leveling and graveling, amounting to between $300 and $400 more. 



From this time on there are frequent references in the minutes and 

 other papers of the society to work done in the garden, leveling of 

 ground, making beds, ploughing, draining, deepening of water in the 

 pond, maintaining walks, etc., but no general description of the 

 grounds. The Institute had very little money for any purpose, and 

 but limited amounts could be expended in this connection, the only 

 help received from outside appearing to have been that above re- 

 corded. In the latter part of 1825 and the beginning of 1826, the 

 garden then having reached its larger size, special efforts were made 

 for assistance. The commissioners for draining the low ground 

 south of Pennsylvania Avenue were first appealed to to cause the 

 garden to be drained, but their funds had been exhausted. Applica- 

 tion was then made directly to Congress to authorize the sale of public 

 lots for the benefit of the Institute, as described in another connec- 

 tion, a part of the fund so obtained to be used for bringing water 

 from the eastern branch of Tiber Creek, first to a reservoir in Capitol 

 Square, where it would be " a great security against the progress of 

 fire in case of accident either in the Capitol or any of the adjacent 

 buildings," or from which it might be carried into every room of the 

 Capitol; and " after leaving the Capitol be thrown up in a beautiful 

 jet cPeau of 30 feet in the Botanic Garden," and subsequently serve 

 to water the garden, etc. 



The wording of a complaint made to the Institute by the Commis- 

 sioner of Public Buildings on June 9, 1827, relative to some of the 

 work done at that period is now of much interest as bearing upon 

 the question of maintaining an agreeable and symmetrical vista 

 through the Mall from the Capitol. It also called attention to the 

 fact that the location of the garden brought it under constant ob- 

 servation by Members of Congress, though this never gained the 



