at a nominal fee, for those who may wish to attend any one or 

 more, but not all, of the sessions of the class. 



Mr. Free's early spring course on " The Flower Garden," for 

 adults, was announced as limited to 40, because of restricted space 

 for practical work in the instructional greenhouse, but 88 men 

 and women applied for admission, and so the class was organized 

 in two sections. The course continued for five weeks, beginning 

 February 17. 



Financial 

 Tax Budget Accounts 



The initial Tax Budget appropriation for 1927 was $87.1)48. an 

 increase of $459 over 1926. This was supplemented by an addi- 

 tional appropriation of $1,640.63. making the total $89,588.03. 

 The amount requested was $[16,655 which was the amount 

 urgently needed in order to insure proper maintenance of build- 

 ings and grounds, and to meet the rapidly increasing demands for 



The grounds are suffering in appearance, and in places are 

 positively unsafe for lack of repairs which cannot be made for 

 lack of funds. For example, there are several flights of wooden 

 steps, constructed ten years ago with no thought except that they 

 would be temporary for a year or two. It has been necessary to 

 tear down one of these and close the paths leading to them- from 

 both directions. The Japanese Garden is in need of extensive 

 repairs and replacements. 



( )ur service to the public schools of Brooklyn has more Tan 

 doubled during the past h-w years, and has been extended to in 

 elude all five Boroughs without any corresponding increase in 

 appropriations for school service. 



In previous reports (and also above, on page 27) I have 

 called atfciition to the undeveloped area of about three acres of the 

 North Addition, fronting on Eastern Parkway. When this tract 

 was added to the Botanic Garden in 1912 there were no buildings 

 on the opposite side of the Parkway; now that side of the street 

 is built up solid with hi-h class ipartmrnt houses. This, and the 

 increasing vehicular and foot traffic on the Parkway, have com- 

 bined to make the Eastern Parkway gate one of the most used 

 entrances to the Garden. The development of this area, still 

 under the plow, becomes increasingly urgent. 



