aly 
engineer of the Park Department and the supervising landscape 
architect, and had to be done over. The walks were not com- 
pleted until September 29. The panel of black Italian marble 
terrazzo, containing the geographic and magnetic meridians, was 
not completed until December 31—six months after the work on 
the contract was started. 
The meridians are of brass strips with suitable terminal designs 
at each end. The geographic meridian is 20 feet long and 7% 
inch wide; the magnetic meridian 18% feet long and 5¢ inch wide. 
The geodetic data at the ends of the meridians are as follows: 
At the North End: 
Magnetic north. Variation 11° 11’ west in 1931 
Annual increase 4’ 
At the South End: 
Altitude above mean sea level, 115 feet 
North latitude, 40° 40’ 06” 
Longitude west of peek Zoot Ae 
To the North Pole, 3416.7 miles 
To the Equator, 2798.2 miles 
This feature is in front of the main west entrance to the Labora- 
tory Building. Even while temporarily installed it proved of 
much public interest, many persons pausing to copy the data. It 
is anticipated that the feature will be of special interest to classes 
in geography from the public and private schools. 
We are greatly indebted to the American Geographical Society, 
Dr. Isaiah Bowman, President, for cooperation in determining the 
above data and accurately locating the meridians on the site. The 
work was done by Mr. Weld Arnold, of the Geographical Society's 
School of Surveying, and now of the School of Geography, Har- 
vard University. 
The completion of the large circular compass and sundial, as 
the central motif of this plaza, awaits available funds which we 
hope may be contributed in the near future. “The amount required 
is approximately $1000 
Our own work in grading and soil improvement could not be 
commenced until November because of the contractor’s delays, 
and all planting has had to be postponed until the spring of 1932. 
It is planned to locate the Garden’s collection of Magnolias on 
8) 
