(207) 



and these will be considerably extended, but large areas of 

 meadow will be left in their natural condition. 



South of these open meadows, the valley of the river is 

 much narrower and is occupied by several acres of charac- 

 teristic river woods, containing a considerable variety of 

 native trees and shrubs, extending south as far as the long 

 driveway bridge near the northern end of the hemlock 

 forest. 



23. Deciduous Woodlands 



The natural deciduous woodlands of the reservation are, 

 collectively, over 40 acres in area, mostly in the central and 

 southern portions of the tract, where they occupy rocky 

 ridges and some of the valleys between these ridges. Along 

 the Bronx River, from the boulder bridge north to the north 

 meadows, are several acres of river woods, subject to over- 

 flow at freshet periods. The woodlands contain many 

 species of native trees and a much greater number of kinds 

 of native shrubs and herbaceous plants; the undergrowth 

 is, locally, very dense. They are typical illustrations of 

 forests of our part of the country, and are treated and 

 protected as such. Dead and decrepit trees are removed 

 and dead branches pruned off from time to time; where 

 necessary, young trees are planted to replace those cut out; 

 the woods are patrolled to guard against forest fires. All 

 available firewood obtained is burned in the heating plants 

 of the smaller buildings, and the use of coal is thus reduced. 

 In order to keep these woodland tracts as typical illustra- 

 tions of eastern United States forests, no extraneous plants 

 have been brought into them, except in one small area on a 

 bank just east of the fruticetum, where many herbaceous 

 woodland species not native of the region have been planted. 



Park Features 



The whole plan of the development of the Garden has 

 been designed in such a manner as to include all the features 

 of a public park, and it has been carried out in close coopera- 

 tion with successive park commissioners and engineers of 



