66 



KI<:L'()kT OF THE CURATOR OF PUB.F1C 

 INSTRUCTION FOR 1938 



To THiv DirI'Xtor: 



T sul)mit hcTCwith my rejiort oi tlic work of this department ftir 

 the \-cai- 1938. 



Gardkn A'i-ri':N dance 



A sliglit inerease in general altendanee at the (larden dnring the 

 3'ear 1938 is shown in the suhjoined tahle. During tlie week-end 

 April 30-Ahay 1, more than 56,000 iieople (56,145) visited the 

 Garden, dlie attendance at the week-end just ])revi()us, April 

 23-24. was more than 51.000 (51.641). F.ven this latter figure 

 was considerahly in excess of the largest week-end attendance in 

 1937, \\-hich was a])]')roximately 48,000. The total attendance for 

 these two week-ends (A])ril 23-24 and April 30-Mav 1) was 

 therefore more than 107,000 i)eo])le. The marxelously heautiful 

 display of Ja])anesc cherry hlossoms along " Cherry Walk " was 

 douhtless the chief occasion of these record attendances. These 

 flo\\ers, l)y-the-wa_\-, arrived this _\-ear at least a week earlier than 

 their usual time. 



Cojisci-ralorics. — The attendance at the conservatories, 145.015, 

 showed a slight increase over that of 1036 (140,011), hut was not 

 as large as that of 1935 (154,659). (In 1937. attendance records 

 at the conservatories w-ere deficient hecause extensive repairs 

 necessitated closing them to the jnihlic much of the lime.) Flow- 

 ever, for the month of April the total conservatory attendance W'as 

 30.572, which is, 1 helieve, tlie highest montlih' figure ever re- 

 corded. The ])re\-ious liigh record of 30,262, for April, 1934, was 

 thus bettered. 



Attendance at Classes and Leclnvcs. — The combined attendance 

 at classes and lectures held at tlie Garden was 72,294. This total 

 is smaller than last 3'car for se\eral reasons. The attendance at 

 classes for adults has hitherto been notabh- increased b^■ teachers 

 taking work for ])rofessional ad\-ancement to meet the require- 

 ments of the ])oard of lulucruion. At ])resent fewer new teachers 

 are being taken into the school s_\-steiu. and. therefore, there are 

 fewer enrollments in ])rofcssional advancement courses. Also, 

 more ])rofessional advancement courses are being given by the 

 regular pei'sonnel of the schools. 



