48 
same near the former beach at the lake; preparing 2,760 feet of 
path edges for the sodding contractor; and a good deal of the 
preliminary plowing, harrowing, etc., on a soil improvement 
scheme planned to build up the fertility of the soil recently graded 
by the contractor. 
Much of this work leaves little to show for the time and money 
spent on it, and, in our grading operations, necessitated by changes 
of plan and the incompetence of the earlier grading contractors, 
a good deal of time has been spent in removing rocks and boulders. 
This force has very frequently loaned men and horses to the 
gardeners, and there has been some work done by them, also, for 
the Japanese garden. This work was under the immediate super- 
vision of our regular foreman, Mr. Herman Kolsh. 
Gardening Force 
During the active growing season this force has consisted of 
four gardeners under the head gardener. ‘The latter position was 
held by Mr. J. V. Borin until March to, and March 16, Mr. Mon- 
tague Free was appointed. Besides the usual gardening main- 
tenance work this department has done constructive work as 
follows. | 
1. Excavation and construction in the interior of the large 
May. The collection is planned to consist of tropical economic 
plants exclusively and it is hoped that permanent planting-out 
of the larger plants will be possible. Structural alterations to the 
framework in the late fall will make it necessary to postpone the 
permanent planting-out of the plants in this house until the 
spring of 1915. A concrete water basin and small rivulet were 
built in this house, and also a rock-work bridge or lookout. The 
house will contain no benches. 
2. The collections of Chamaecyparis, Taxus and Cephalotaxus 
were removed from the site of the Japanese garden to a new 
location along Washington Avenue. 
3. About 900 shrubs and trees were planted on and near the 
central meadow, as part of the general systematic collection. A 
