(270) 
the mowing season were assigned to this department for haul- 
ing and mowing purposes. In addition to their other duties, 
1 of the gardeners and 5 of the apprentices have acted in the 
capacity of guides during the afternoons, both spring and 
fall, on which nature-study lectures occurred. 
Of the above force, 1 foreman gardener, 9 gardeners, and 
6 apprentices (2 of which were dispensed with on October 
31) were detailed to the conservatories; 3 gardeners and 1 
apprentice to the propagating houses, being I apprentice less 
than last year; and 5 gardeners and the laborers to the out- 
side work. 
The area to be maintained by the outside force was again 
divided into tracts, designated as follows: museum, conser- 
vatory, west border, fruticetum, and herbaceous grounds. 
Each tract was put in the care of a gardener who was held 
responsible for its appearance. In addition to the gardener 
in charge, the laborers were assigned to the various tracts as 
follows: conservatory 3; west border 3; herbaceous grounds 
4; fruticetum 2; and museum 3 (only 2 for a part of the 
time). The deciduous arboretum was maintained by special 
details from the other tracts. In the fall, as soon as garden- 
ing operations in the plantations were unnecessary, the gard- 
eners were employed in the usual leaf-raking, top-dressing, 
and other work of a similar nature. 
In decorative planting there were used about Sor spec- 
imens. Of these 610 were secured by purchase, 70 by gift, 
and 121 were transferred from the nurseries. To the herba- 
ceous collections in the west border were added 125 plants. 
The gap existing in the west border just to the westward of 
the lakes was closed with a miscellaneous collection of woody 
plants, consisting of shrubs and trees, among the latter being 
many pines. The border at the Scott Avenue approach was 
also rearranged, and enlarged by the addition of rhododen- 
drons, azaleas, pines and other trees. A portion of one of 
the triangles near the herbaceous grounds was planted with 
dogwood. To the southeast of the conservatories, on the bank 
between the path and driveway, were placed two beds of 
