dressed with compost. The ground west of the new storehouse was cut down and graded, and a cement pavement or dished apron on concrete base constructed along the west front of the building and adjacent thereto, with recesses into the doorways. This pavement is 100 feet long and 4 feet wide. Trees along the old boundary line of the nursery were cut down and grubbed out and ground along the line of the old fence was graded. A new shed 40 feet long and 25 feet wide was erected for storing potting soil. The tanks for growing water lilies were repaired. The new roadways provided by the plan adopted for the development of the propagating gardens were marked out and 52 American elms and 39 Norway maples planted along their sides. Four large spruce trees which were in the way of this work were taken up and replanted on the lawn at the north front of the grounds, and some hardy rose bushes were also lifted and transplanted. The ground west of the office building was graded, grass seed sown, and 17 evergreen trees planted, and 5 evergreens planted in front of that building.

A large quantity of old condemned property, consisting of an old vehicle, old tools, scrap iron, hose, old furniture, and materials pertaining to the old steam elevator formerly in the Washington Monument was sold at public auction in November, 1901, and April, 1902, and the proceeds, $430.17, deposited in the Treasury.

The work of filling up low portions of the additional and muchneeded space which was temporarily added to the nursery from the Potomac Flats by transfer made in May, 1899, by Col. Charles J. Allen, Corps of Engineers, by authority of the Chief of Engineers, has been continued, about 21,628 cubic yards of good earth filling having been deposited and graded during the year without expense to the United States. This additional space was, by order of the Chief of Engineers, wholly transferred to the charge of this office by letter of August 27, 1901, from Colonel Allen.

This office is frequently in receipt of requests for the loan of plants from the gardens for the use of churches, fairs, festivals, etc., and demands are constantly made for flowering and decorative plants for private purposes.

All such requests have to be declined, as either the loan or gift of any plants would be in violation of the following extract from the act of Congress approved June 20, 1878:

Provided, That hereafter only such trees, shrubs, and plants shall be propagated at the greenhouses and nursery as are suitable for planting in the public reservations, to which purposes only the said productions of the greenhouses and nursery shall be applied.

After the annual spring planting in the parks is completed, it sometimes happens that there is a small surplus of bedding plants on hand. These are divided among such public reservations or institutions as the State, War, and Navy Building, Marine Barracks, Washington Aqueduct grounds, Fort Myer Military Reservation, and various hospitals and orphan asylums. After these are supplied, should there still be a few such surplus plants remaining, they are given to whoever may ask for them.

This office also furnishes, after its park planting is completed, many plants and shrubs for beautifying the grounds of the various Executive Departments.

Building for shop at the nursery. In the sundry civil act approved March 3, 1901, an appropriation of $8,500 was provided for the construction of a brick building for shops in the nursery grounds, the