59 



able stables, connected with an establishment of which the Dairy 

 building would properly form the most important feature. 



Full details of the progress of the work during the year, and inter- 

 esting statistics of the public use of the park, will be found in the ap- 

 pended reports of the Engineer-in-charge, and his principal assistants, 

 Mr. Bogart and Mr. Culyer. 



It will be observed that the public use of the park has been largely 

 greater than it was during the previous year. It may be remarked 

 also, that a gratifying improvement has occurred in the character 

 of this use ; a much smaller proportion of the visits recorded hav- 

 ing been from curiosity to examine a new thing, and a much 

 larger part having been made with a view to family and social 

 recreation. The number of domestic pic-nic parties was large, and 

 more than two hundred and fifty Sunday schools and other neighborly 

 and friendly organizations, found suitable accommodations for their plea- 

 sure excursions in the woods near and opposite to the Dairy. We are 

 strongly convinced that no other element in the design of your work 

 compares in importance with that which is calculated to suggest, facili- 

 tate, and encourage the choice by the people of the City, of simple 

 temperate, healthful, rural and domestic forms of recx*eation, instead 

 of such as involve a liability to the development of habits of extrava- 

 gance, and a morbid inclination for the unwholesome excitements of 

 city life. 



"We desire, in conclusion, to draw attention to the unsettled state of 

 the question in regard to the treatment of the land under the control 

 of the Commission on the East side of Flatbush Avenue. The fact 

 that it continues to be impracticable to make definite calculations as 

 to the disposition of this ground, has a prejudicial effect in refer- 

 ence to the general development of the Park design, and the 

 long continued delay is also attended with many practical disadvan- 

 tages. The whole subject was fully discussed in our Report made to 

 your Board in 1866, prior to the commencement of active operations, 

 and again in that of last year ; and we have simply now to say that the 

 views we have heretofore expressed remain unchanged. 



Respectfully, 



OLMSTED, VAUX & CO. 



Landscape- Architects and Superintendents. 



