539 



many parts worn away to such an extenl as to require, at an early 



day, the addition of considerable material to restore them to the 

 condition in which it is found to lie eeonoiuy to maintain them. 



The construction of the south lake drive of park graved, a 

 material made up of gravelly sand and loam found in the neigh- 

 borhood of the park, was to some extent an experiment in park 

 drives. But it has resulted so satisfactorily in our case as to 

 render it doubtful if we shall ever have occasion to use any other 

 than a similar material for renewing the surface of the park drives. 

 Indeed, if ordinary care be taken to secure reasonably thorough 

 surface drainage (beyond the fact that its wear may be to some 

 extent more rapid than a more homogeneous gravel), there need 

 be no occasion to look for better material for constructing a class 

 of roadways designed mainly for light travel, at least so long as 

 the maintenance forces of the park shall require so economic an 

 adjustment. 



A settlement of the roadway of the west drive, at the point of 

 crossing Eleventh avenue, occasioned by the shrinking of. the 

 underlying peat, has been repaired, and the original grade of the 

 road restored. Some additional excavation has been made on the 

 branch drive to Ninth avenue and Fifteenth street entrance, pre- 

 paratory to its completion in the spring. 



The completion of the main drive to its full width along the' 

 westerly base of Lookout Hill, has been temporarily delayed to 

 enable us to make use of a deposit of sand desirable for building 

 purposes. 



The roadway at the junction of the wood and Breeze Hill 

 drives, and along the east lake drive, to the main carriage con- 

 course, was widened by abandoning the ride at these points, and 

 adding it. together with a strip of ten feet on the westerly side, to 

 the old roadway. This change was made in the spring, and was 

 found to be a very desirable one, in view of the increase of travel 

 at this part of the drive. 



RIDES. 



The east ride has been finished to its terminus at the junction 

 of" the east lake and concourse drives ;" the Nethermead ride is also 

 finished. During the fall the lake rides, which were used as cart 

 runs, have been restored to their proper use. The northwest ride 

 has been entirely completed from the Nethermead drive to the 

 west drive, near the old line of Thirteenth street. The ride made 

 of gravel one foot in depth, the coarser layer being raked forward 



