( 202 ) 
The Hemlock Grove 
The forest of Canadian Hemlock Spruce continues in a 
healthy condition. In my last annual report I suggested 
that some restriction of the use of this natural woodland was 
desirable, and this has been in part effected by a more con- 
tinuous system of patrolling by employees detailed for this 
service on Sundays and holidays and by keepers. The 
opening of the main park driveway across the long bridge 
north of the hemlock grove, and the closing of the temporary 
road-across the old ‘* Blue Bridge,” and the construction of 
the path leading eastward from the north end of the herba- 
ceous garden, has resulted in the closing of the grove to ve- 
hicles, in accordance with the original plan, and this has been 
a great advantage to pedestrians and is in all respects a con- 
dition to be maintained. Suggestions have been made from 
time to time of the desirability of constructing roads through 
the grove, but experience has demonstrated that this would 
be most undesirable, inasmuch as the demand could only be 
met by the building of roads not less than 25 feet wide in 
order to insure safety from collisions and prevent accidents 
to pedestrians, and such roads would greatly mar the natural 
beauty of the forest. A few fallen trees and branches and a 
few dead standing trees need to be removed, and, in accord- 
ance with the agreement of the Garden with the Department 
of Parks, this is being done at the present time, an official of 
the Park Department being detailed to observe the work. A 
portion of one of the trails leading into the grove from the 
herbaceous grounds had become washed by rains, leaving a 
number of stones protruding, and these were removed during 
the fall in accordance with the same agreement. The indis- 
criminate trampling of the floor of the forest, which I men- 
tioned in my last annual report, has been somewhat reduced 
by the patrols, but still continues to a considerable extent. 
The railing or fencing along portions of the trails which I 
there suggested, has not been resorted to, though I still think 
it desirable, and propose to consider this subject further with 
the Commissioner of Parks and to report to you on this 
subject during the year. 
