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and a transferral of the mansion water supply from the 
36-inch to the 48-inch city main. 
In the autumn, some grading was done at the driveway 
and path connection with the Bronx River Parkway on 
the northeastern boundary of our reservation, earth re- 
quired for filling here being hauled from excavations for 
the new greenhouses at conservatory range 2; the Bronx 
River Parkway Commission made the necessary driveway 
connection, requiring a slight change in the roadway within 
the Garden at that point, without expense to us. Path 
building and grading work was aided by the Emergency 
Fund subscribed by members. 
Buildings 
The report of the Superintendent of Buildings and 
Grounds hereto appended records details of work upon 
buildings. Many repairs have again been necessary and 
the conditions of obtaining material and the high cost of 
services of mechanics have made such work expensive. 
Provision must again be made for extensive repairs during 
1918, most of which we hope to accomplish by mechanics 
in our regular employ, but some of it may have to be re- 
ferred to contractors. 
The most extensive and expensive replacements needed 
are the benches in conservatory range 1, the bad condition 
of which was referred to in my last annual report. During 
the year, we were enabled, by using a part of the Emergency 
Fund subscribed by members, to replace about 525 running 
feet of the old benches by new ones built of concrete, which 
will be permanent and are in all respects satisfactory. It 
is estimated that at least 1,000 running feet more of these 
benches should be replaced during 1918, because, in addi- 
tion to those in conservatory range 1, some in the propa- 
gating houses have broken down and require rebuilding. 
Another important piece of repair work which we were 
not able to reach in 1917, but which has become a necessity 
for 1918, is the painting of the iron boundary fence along 
