(22) 
REPORT OF THE FIRST ASSISTANT 
To THE DrrEecTOR-IN-CHIEF: 
Sir: Ihave the honor to submit the following report for 
the year 1907. 
Grounds 
The roads and paths of the Garden have been cared for as 
in previous years by employees of the Park Department. 
Borders, signs, guard rails, catch basins, water mains, and 
other matters connected with lines of traffic through the 
grounds have also received due attention, as detailed in the 
report of the Superintendent. Considerable pruning has 
been necessary along the roadways and on some of the paths. 
This has in every case been done with great care, and the 
wounds have been covered with coal tar. 
The condition of the plantations is given in detail in the 
report of the Head Gardener. The valley containing the 
herbaceous grounds, the region about the lakes to the north 
of the museum building, and the courts of the public conserv- 
atories have been much improved during the year. A vig- 
orous war has been waged against the muskrat with great 
success. 
By far the most serious damage that has occurred on the 
grounds during the year has been due to the ravages of a 
fungus disease among the chestnut trees, practically all of 
them having succumbed to its attacks. The well-known leaf 
blight of the plane-tree was unusually severe the past season, 
but its effects are not often lasting. The months of July and 
August were exceedingly dry and vegetation suffered 
severely, but by continual use of the watering cart the more 
susceptible plants were kept alive until the copious Septem- 
ber rains restored everything to its normal condition. A 
furious storm in December broke down a few diseased trees 
in the open and overturned two or three hemlocks on exposed 
cliffs in the forest, but the hemlock woods as a whole proved 
to be in excellent condition. 
