35 
Department, and it is anticipated that the rockery may be con- 
structed in the early spring of 1916 
Plantations 
Work Done.—The report of the curator of plants, appended 
hereto, gives a detailed statement of the year’s work in connec- 
tion with the plantations. In addition to the regular gardeners 
we employed an average of about 14 laborers a week from March 
19 to November 5. In the busiest periods the force was increased 
to from 20 to 22 men, and during the last two or three weeks it 
was reduced to as few as three men, owing to insufficient funds 
to employ more. Much urgent work had to remain undone owing 
to the small appropriation for labor, and notwithstanding gen- 
erous contributions of private funds for this purpose. The needs 
for 1916 will be as great, if not greater, than in 1915. 
In the gardening division proper, the principal events to be 
mentioned here are the planting of four rows of flowering dog- 
wood trees along the walks of the Museum esplanade, the coopera- 
tive experiment with Holland bulbs in conjunction with the 
United States Department of Agriculture, and the initiation of 
our seed collecting and first Seed List, for exchange with other 
botanic gardens. Requests were received and filled for 1,150 
packets. Seeds received by us in return will be a means of 
greatly enriching our collections of living plants. Other opera- 
tions are listed in the report of the curator, pp. 51 to 57. 
A careful inventory of plants actually growing has enabled us 
to bring our office records up to date, and shows that as of De- 
cember 31, 1915, there were growing in the Garden, in addition to 
purely ornamental and screen plants, 2,840 species, representing 
1,285 genera, besides 544 of doubtful specific identity. 
Enlargement of Wild Flower Collections. Large numbers of 
native wild flowers, collected on field trips, have been sent to the 
Garden during the past season by members of the staff. The 
Garden hopes soon to have under cultivation large groups of each 
species that grows wild within 100 miles of Brooklyn. Gifts of 
living plants, in quantity, for this collection will be greatly ap- 
preciated. 
