Cryptomeria japonica , interesting as one of the most decorative of 
all evergreens when mature. Along the road from Utsunomiya to 
the great temple at Nikko, Japan, this tree is planted in double 
rows, for nearly thirty miles. The effect of this great avenue of 
evergreens leading up to the temple, the trees so close together 
that they almost touch, is said to be indescribably solemn and 
impressive. 
Leaving the lake and keeping to the right we pass the south- 
ern end of the esplanade, which has just been planted with two 
double rows of the flowering dogwood {Cor nits florida). The area 
between these rows of trees was recently plowed, when a crop of 
rye was turned under, preparatory to a sowing of buckwheat 
which will follow in a week or two. These operations are all part 
of a soil improvement scheme planned to build up the fertility of 
the soil in this section of the garden. Only last autumn this area 
consisted largely of roads made by trucking thousands of loads of 
soil and stones in the course of grading operations. This autumn, 
or at the latest next spring, the permanent lawn to occupy the 
central space of the esplanade will be put down. 
Continuing west towards the Wild Flower garden, the area on 
the right will be occupied by the Experimental Evolution garden, 
where it is planned to illustrate among other things, the evolu- 
tionary history of some common flowers and vegetables. Across 
the path, to the west, is the site of the Economic garden, designed 
to illustrate the sources of food, drug and fiber products of all 
sorts, that come from plants which are hardy in this climate. 
The Wild Flower garden contains about 1,000 different species 
of plants that are wild within 100 miles of New York. All of the 
plants in the beds and all those facing the edges of the shrubbery 
are wild within that radius. There are about 2,600 species that 
are known, so that the present collection is merely a beginning. 
Some of the labels in this section of the Garden are green, in- 
dicating that the plant is a true native of this region; others have 
brown labels, indicating that their native home is elsewhere, but 
that they are either escapes from gardens or have become estab- 
lished within the 100-mile circle. Many of our common weeds 
such as dandelion, daisy, plantain, etc., are merely introduced in 
this region, and form no real part of the native flora. 
Among the most interesting features of this wild flower valley 
are the bog, and a shady path along the top of the border mound 
where some of our native woodland plants are becoming natural- 
ized. The bog, which is an undrained swamp, contains many in- 
teresting bog species, including the cranberry, pitcher-plant, sun- 
dew, and many others. Along the shaded path, near the Flatbush 
Avenue side, will be found many favorite native species, such as 
trilliums, bloodroot, wild geranium, wild ginger, lady’s slipper, 
rattlesnake plantain, and many others. 
At the upper end of the valley a tulip-tree {Liriodendron 
tulipifera ) will be found, near the bottom of a slope of rhododen- 
