BROOKLYN PARK COMMISSIONERS. . 19 



suitable condition for the use of equestrians. A very considerable 

 portion of our walk surfaces is covered with, bituminous concrete, 

 most of which was put down many years ago, afc a time when 

 much of the knowledge and experience in this new class of in- 

 dustry was tentative and empirical. Notwithstanding this, 

 many of these walks have proved serviceable and economical, 

 as the work was well done and at very moderate cost. 



Owing to lack of experience and a want of exact information 

 as to the combination and use of the materials of which these 

 pavements were composed, many of these surfaces have worn 

 away, or prematurely disintegrated. 



On man} T portions of the park their renewal at moderate 

 exj)ense would result advantageously, especially upon those 

 walks where frequent variations in grade subject the surfaces 

 to the wash of water and other effects of the elements. Upon 

 such of the walks as are surfaced with gravel new material will 

 be required. 



PLANTATIONS. 



A large quantity of material, in great variety, which was 

 planted in the earlier years of the work, has outgrown the use 

 which it was designed to serve, having been planted for nursery 

 or protective purposes for more valuable material, and for 

 enforcing effects to which its rapid growth and characteristic 

 development readily conduced. This material, in the main, was 

 composed of the coarse varieties of shrubbery purchased in 

 large quantities at very moderate prices. It is intended to 

 cut out much of this material, which in many places forms a 

 now undesirable contingent to the permanent planting and in 

 order to suppress its unintentional domination and the intrusion 

 of incongruous growths upon lines of site and views necessary 

 to afford to the visitor the effects of landscape which it is in 

 part the object of arrangements of park planting to secure. 



During the past season, some of this work in its primary 

 stages has been done in order to guard against the destruction 

 of more valuable material, and during the coming season it will 

 claim our attention to a larger extent than it has been possible 



