REPORT OF THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR 

 To the Director-in-Chief. 



Sir: I have the honor to submit the following report for 

 the year 1909. 



Grounds 



The same standard of economy and efficiency in the care 

 of the grounds has been maintained during the past year 

 as in former years. 



The summer season was exceptionally dry and consider- 

 able watering was necessary. The autumn was dry and 

 very late, the first film of ice appearing on the lakes Novem- 

 ber 19, and the first snow coming a week later. Steam was 

 required in the conservatories several days later than in 

 any previous year in the history of the Garden. 



After the fall of the leaves in the hemlock grove, double 

 guards were required both day and night for a time on 

 account of the great danger from fire. Several small fires 

 occurred, most of them in the forest east of the Bronx River, 

 but they were promptly discovered and controlled. The 

 Fire Department and the Police Department were called 

 upon on two occasions and they responded very promptly. 

 The forest fires fortunately did little damage owing to the 

 dormant condition of the trees and the small area affected. 

 The crop of hay gathered from the grounds during the 

 summer and stacked in a barrack, amounting to over twenty 

 tons, was badly damaged by fire in November. 



The chestnut canker shows no signs of abating in viru- 

 lence. The dead chestnut trees are being cut and used as 

 rapidly as possible. The vacant areas left after their 

 removal in the hemlock grove will afford space for young 

 hemlocks to develop, thus continuing and extending the 

 hemlock forest. 



The imported elm-leaf beetle was abundant this year, 

 stripping the elms of their leaves early in the season. A 



