120 



the old wooden " Blue Bridge" near the north end of the Hem- 

 lock Grove, has been in progress during the month of April 

 under the Park Department contract with M. J. Leahy. The 

 same underlying stratum of sand and gravel on which all the 

 other bridges in the garden rest was found at this point and forms 

 a footing for these structures which could not be better. This 





vthe; 



level of the river. As already described, this bridge is being built 

 of boulders selected from old stone walls in the grounds and of 

 others which grading operations have unearthed. 



Much progress has been made in grading, sodding and sowing 

 the banks about the lakes during the month of April and the 

 telford foundation of the path system around the lakes is now 

 very nearly complete, so that as soon as a supply of trap-rock 

 screenings can be obtained they may be completed for the use 

 of the public. It may be of interest to record that the price of 

 broken trap-rock and trap-rock screenings has been greatly 

 advanced since last year, competitive bidding last year bringing 

 out a cost of #1.87 per cubic yard delivered at the garden, 



free from a large amount of finely comminuted stone or sand. 



Arbor Day exercises were held at the garden on May 2 and 

 May 3 in connection with the nature-study lectures given to the 

 children of the public schools of Manhattan and the Bronx. Re- 

 marks appropriate to the occasion were make by Dr. Britton and 

 Dr. Murrill. 



Dr. Hollick addressed the pupils of Curtis High School, New 

 Brighton, Staten Island, giving an account of the origin and 

 development of the movement and calling attention to the fact 

 that the inauguration of Arbor Day in New York State was due 

 to an act introduced in the State Assembly in 1888 by Assem- 

 blyman George Cromwell of Staten Island, now President of the 

 Borough of Richmond. 



The total precipitation recorded at the Garden for April was 

 4.93 inches. Maximum temperatures were recorded of 70° on 

 the 5th, 56 on the nth, 57° on the 21st, and 68° on the 25th ; 



