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plants have been moved to new positions during the fall, to 
obtain the advantage of transplanting and to improve the ap- 
pearance of the screen along the railway, where trees planted 
in the spring failed on account of the prolonged drought. 
Grading, 
Some preliminary grading was done in the spring in pre- 
paring the ground for the tree border along the New York 
and Harlem Railway. 
In August grading operations were begun along the South- 
ern Boulevard where the banks of this road and an area of 
about two acres just south of it presented a very bad appear- 
ance. These banks were left in a very rough state when the 
Boulevard was constructed, and the two acre tract alluded to 
was used as a borrow pit several years ago for the building 
of roads in the vicinity of the park, its natural surface being 
thus destroyed. The banks of the Boulevard were graded 
to a slope of two to one by plowing and hand labor, and 4,000 
cubic yards of soil, mostly topsoil, were obtained from Mr. 
J. B. McDonald, contractor for the excavation of the Jerome 
Park Reservoir, under the agreement entered into between 
him and the Board of Managers, which permits him to oper- 
ate a temporary line of railway across the northern part of 
the Garden. The soil thus obtained was spread over the 
denuded tract by him, and its rough edges were graded down. 
All that now remains to do to put this region in good order is 
to sow the restored two-acre tract with grass seed, to tace the 
Boulevard banks with topsoil, reserved for that purpose, and 
to sow them as well; this work should be done as soon as 
spring opens. A small amount of earth from the grading of 
these banks was used to fill up seven unsightly and danger- 
ous cellar excavations of houses previously standing on the 
grounds, near the line of the Southern Boulevard. 
Drainage. 
Awaiting the completion of the general plan no permanent 
drains have been built, but the natural water courses have 
been opened and kept free from obstruction. 
