( 207 ) 
and these will be considerably extended, but large areas of 
meadow will be left in their natural condition. 
South of these open meadows, the valley of the river is 
much narrower and is occupied by several acres of charac- 
teristic river woods, containing a considerable variety of 
native trees and shrubs, extending south as far as the long 
driveway bridge near the northern end of the hemlock 
orest. 
23. Deciduous Woodlands 
The natural deciduous woodlands of the reservation are, 
collectively, over 40 acres in area, mostly in the central and 
southern portions of the tract, ee they occupy rocky 
ridges and some of the valleys between these ridges. Along 
the Bronx River, from the boulder bridge north to the north 
meadows, are several acres of river woods, subject to over- 
flow at freshet periods. The woodlands contain many 
species of native trees and a much greater number of kinds 
of native shrubs and herbaceous plants; the undergrowth 
is, locally, very dense. They are typical illustrations of 
forests of our part of the country, and are treated and 
protected as such. Dead and decrepit trees are removed 
and dead branches pruned off from time to time; where 
necessary, young trees are planted to replace those cut out; 
the woods are patrolled to guard against forest fires. All 
available firewood obtained is burned in the heating plants 
of the smaller buildings, and the use of coal is thus reduced. 
In order to keep these woodland tracts as typical illustra- 
tions of eastern United States forests, no extraneous plants 
have been brought into them, except in one small area on a 
bank just east of the fruticetum, where many herbaceous 
woodland species not native of the region have been planted. 
Park FEATURES 
The whole plan of the development of the Garden has 
been designed in such a manner as to include all the features 
of a public park, and it has been carried out in close coopera- 
tion with successive park commissioners and engineers of 
