fund has doubtless been a factor in stimulating public appre- 

 ciation of the purpose for which it was established. 



Police Protection 



For police purposes, the Charter of the Garden refers the 

 grounds to the control of the Department of Parks, but, as 

 recorded in previous reports, the police protection has been 

 quite inadequate and the increasing population in the 

 vicinity of the Garden, as well as the increased number of 

 visitors, require that additional service should be sup- 

 plied. Up to the present time only a single patrolman has 

 been secured for the entire tract, occasionally supplemented 

 by one or two additional policemen. There has been con- 

 siderable disorder about the grounds; a haystack was set 

 on fire late in the autumn, and two fires of incendiary 

 origin were set in the woodlands east of the Bronx River; 

 labels of shrubs and trees have been stolen and some plants 

 surreptitiously removed. To supplement the insufficient 

 protection, we have had one keeper and two foremen sworn 

 in as special officers and during the summer laborers and 

 gardeners have been detailed as guards, thus reducing the 

 available force for maintaining the grounds and planta- 

 tions. It is earnestly hoped that additional police protec- 

 tion may be obtained this year. 



Administrative 



The details of maintenance have been carried out by Dr. 

 W. A. Murrill, Assistant Director, acting under my general 

 instructions, and by Mr. Percy Wilson, Administrative 

 Assistant. The construction work has been under my own 

 immediate direction, aided by Col. F. A. Schilling, Superin- 

 tendent of Grounds, and I have personally supervised the 

 : of the collections and new installations. I have 

 led my investigations on the flora of the West Indies 

 by personal study of the collections of the several exploring 

 expeditions, and also those of the Cactaceae, commenced 

 several years ago, in cooperation with Dr. J. N. Rose of the 

 United States National Museum. 



