BROOKLYN PARK COMMISSIONERS. 17 



&c, are devoted, nor cau they folly realize the infinite details 

 in connection with the daily routine and current use of the 

 park, which tend to draw upon and dissipate the labor of the 

 comparatively small force at our command. 



The winter months were remarkable for no extended periods 

 of severe cold. All the necessary preparations for skating and 

 winter sports had been made, involving an expenditure for con- 

 siderable preparatory work which could not be avoided, but, 

 owing to the absence of any protracted prevalence of an ice 

 producing temperature, we had only three days' skating during 

 the season. 



Numerous snow storms, however, with the anticipation of 

 skating which the season continuously encouraged, kept us 

 quite busy, while the frequent thawing made it necessary to do 

 a great deal of work upon the drives, the surfaces of which it 

 was frequently necessary to put in order. Later, with the 

 advance of spring, the work of renovation commenced and ex- 

 tended generally over the whole work. 



In Prospect Park and the smaller city parks, pruning and 

 cleaning of plantations and the repairing of the roads and walks 

 and buildings were done. Extensive repairs were made to the 

 turfed areas in all the parks. The vigorous growth of the grass 

 required constant care and attention in order to maintain it in 

 proper condition in its relation to general park effect as well as 

 for the various uses to which it was put by the public for rec- 

 reative purposes. 



It may be desirable at this time to recount briefly the condi- 

 tion of some of the important features of park construction to 

 which specific reference in more or less detail has been made 

 in former reports. Our roads, in plan of construction, were a 

 modification of those much more expensively built upon the 

 Central Park in New York, and, while avoiding the more costly 

 features which characterize the preparation and foundation 

 work of those of the Central Park, there was secured all the 

 essential features necessary to a substantial and durable road- 

 bed, while the superstructure over a considerable extent of our 



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