(306) 
proved by the Board of Managers and by the Commissioner 
of Parks of the Borough of the Bronx, during the year, after 
a prolonged study. They contemplate the building of a 
traffic road from the Southern Boulevard, near the Power 
House, west and south of these buildings near the line of St. 
John’s College property to meet the Southern Boulevard again 
opposite the southern end of the Herbaceous Grounds, and 
also a park driveway, parallel with the traffic road and be- 
tween it and the buildings, these two roads to take the place 
of the Southern Boulevard along its straight stretch between 
the Horticultural Houses and the Museum Building; also a 
carefully prepared system of path approaches to these houses 
and the necessary accompanying grading. 
The Board of Managers has requested the Commissioner 
of Parks to apply to the Board of Estimate and the Munic- 
ipal Assembly for an appropriation of $200,000.00 for the 
making of these improvements and for the completion of the 
Range of Horticultural Houses. The Commissioner has 
asked an opinion from the Corporation Counsel relative to the 
powers of the Board of Estimate in this connection, but this 
opinion has not yet been rendered. 
There is no doubt that this is the most important new con- 
struction work in the development of the Garden, and the 
construction of at least one of these roads and of parts of 
the path system is almost imperatively necessary during the 
year. 
Library. 
Books for the Library, which had been accumulating in 
the temporary office since 1896 were moved into the Museum 
Building in August. 
At the last Annual Meeting the Board of Managers author- 
ized a subscription of $5,000 for the purchase of books, with 
special reference to works not in the Botanical Library of Co- 
lumbia University. The sum was subscribed as follows: 
