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the year with a large and important collection, including 
living plants of the cacti of Ecuador which were previously 
very imperfectly known; these collections are now being 
arranged for study at Washington, and a duplicate set of 
them will come to us in due time. 
The study of the plants of southern Florida undertaken 
by Dr. John K. Small, Head Curator, some years ago and 
continued as opportunity has permitted, has been very 
important in determining the existence in the United 
States of many plants otherwise known only from the 
West Indies or tropical continental America, and has also 
demonstrated the occurrence there of a number of endemic 
species. Inasmuch as the region is fast being developed 
for residential and agricultural purposes and its natural 
features thus modified or destroyed, the investigation was 
most timely. ‘The work has been greatly aided through 
the valued cooperation of Mr. Charles Deering, who has 
established gardens on his estate at Miami for the further 
preservation of the rarer plants. 
In continuance of our investigations of the West Indian 
flora, collections have been received from Brother Leon of 
Havana and Brother Hioram of Guantanamo, Cuba, 
from Mr. William Harris in Jamaica, and from Mr. L. J. K. 
Brace in New Providence, Bahamas. 
Roads and Paths 
The maintenance of the driveways by the Park Depart- 
ment, as provided by the Garden’s Charter, has been 
excellent and the system is in good condition; the valued 
cooperation in this work, as also in other matters, by the 
Hon. Joseph P. Hennessy, Commissioner of Parks of the 
Borough of The Bronx, and of members of his staff, is 
highly appreciated. 
Little progress was made in completing the large em- 
bankment needed on the line of the unfinished driveway at 
the north end of the long lake, where some earth has been 
needed to finish the slopes; the practical cessation of build- 
