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REPORT OF THE FIRST ASSISTANT 
Dr. N. L. Britron, DrrEcTor-IN-CHIEF. 
Str: I have the honor of presenting the following report 
for the year 1906. 
Grounds 
The roads and paths of the Garden have been cared for by 
employees of the Department of Parks as in previous years. 
The force now employed is hardly adequate for this purpose, 
owing to the rapid progress made in the construction of drive- 
ways and paths. The service road and the parkway near 
the conservatories have been resurfaced with screenings; the 
lamps have been removed from the unused path through the 
woods east of the herbaceous grounds and from the old road 
over the ‘‘ blue ridge” to the new roads recently opened; and 
all the street lamps have been replaced by the Park Depart- 
ment with new ones of a better type. 
Progress in construction of roads and paths in accordance 
with the general plan has made access to the grounds con- 
siderably easier, and has also brought about some changes, of 
which the closing of traffic on the old road leading across the 
‘‘blue bridge” and the opening of the new road across the 
new bridge to the north of this is the most important. The 
rough trail leading from the herbaceous grounds into the 
hemlock forest has also been made over into an attractive 
path and fenced off at both ends from possible invasion by 
vehicles. The delivery road back of the museum building 
and the main driveway passing the building on the east have 
both received considerable attention as to grading, edging 
and draining. Borders, catch basins, signs, guard rails, 
water mains, etc., have also received due attention, as detailed 
in the report of the Superintendent of Grounds. 
The report of the Head Gardener gives a detailed account 
of the condition of the plantations. The fruticetum has been 
greatly developed and improved and is now one of the most 
attractive parts of the Garden. 
