(105 ) 
spring inspection of grounds, buildings, and collections on 
May 6 and the autumn inspection on October 21 were 
eae by the ladies of the Auxiliary. A committee of 
the Auxiliary on membership to cooperate with the Mem- 
bership Committee of the Board of Managers has been 
appointed. 
Administrative 
Details of maintenance have been largely referred to 
Dr. W. A. Murrill, Assistant Director, and to Mr. R. S. 
Williams, Administrative Assistant, under my immediate 
supervision. I have also supervised all new construction, 
which has been under the immediate direction of Mr. 
Arthur J. Corbett, Superintendent of Buildings and 
Grounds, and Mr. John Finley, Foreman Gardener. Mr. 
George V. Nash, Head Gardener, has had immediate 
direction of the collections of living plants and the forma-~ 
tion of new plantations, and the care and increase of the 
museum and herbarium collections has been under the 
immediate direction of Dr. John K. Small, Head Curator. 
The care and development of the additional land and 
additional buildings has not required the appointment of 
additional administrative officers, but the salaries of Mr. 
Corbett and Mr. Finley were slightly increased in recogni- 
tion of the additional responsibilities entailed. 
My own time, beyond that required administratively, 
has been given to a continuation of the investigation of the 
cactus family in cooperation with Dr. J. N. Rose, of the 
Carnegie Institution of Washington, and to a continuation 
of my studies on the flora of the West Indies. 
Financial Considerations 
The necessity for retrenchment in expenditures by the 
city caused a reduction of the appropriation for main- 
tenance from $107,163 in 1915 to $100,075 for 1916. This 
will necessitate a restriction in our expenditure, and the 
use of nearly all our income from endowment and from 
membership dues to supplement the city allowance, leaving 
