47 
REPORT OF THE CURATOR OF PLANTS FOR 1916 
Dr. C. Stuart GaceErR, DirEcTOR. 
Sir: I take pleasure in submitting my report as curator of plants 
for the year ending December 31, 1916. 
General Maintenance and Construction Force 
The laboring force worked longer than for any other year in 
the Garden’s history, beginning on March 23 and stopping De- 
cember 16. During our busiest time, of construction work, we 
had 14-21 men for 15 weeks and 28-34 men for 5 weeks. This 
left for purely maintenance work, during the 18 weeks not thus 
accounted for, an average of 7-13 men. While the construction 
work was of course necessary in order to open up the new ground 
at the south end of the Garden, the consequent drain on funds. 
that might have gone into maintenance was great, and was re- 
flected in the far from satisfactory condition in which the rest of 
the grounds were kept during the past year. Mowing, weeding, 
and general care of walks, gates, steps, etc., need more men than 
we could possibly spare for them this year. 
The chief new work done by this force has been the grading 
and completion of the brook on the new land at the south end of 
the grounds. More than 600 feet were thereby added to the brook, 
and a terminal pool, larger than any other along the stream, was. 
made. On the south border of this pool a small hill was thrown 
up, on the slopes of which it is planned to plant rhododendrons. 
and azaleas. Lawn was put down on the west side of the brook,. 
while the east side and adjacent land has been planted with rye— 
a final step in the soil-improvement scheme. 
Other work by this force has been as follows: Fencing and 
preparation of experimental garden on the new land; preparation 
of new land for the children’s gardens; digging foundation 
trenches for the northwest section of the greenhouses ;~ shaping, 
and preparation for planting, of 650 feet of border-mound along 
Flatbush Avenue and the Brighton Beach R. R. cut; raising bor- 
der mound at southerly end of museum esplanade; clearing of 
part of the work yard and preparation of it for the permanent 
nursery ; construction of rubble-stone bridge over the path crossed 
