Reservation 205, Maryland avenue, Third and B streets NE.-Reservation 232, North Carolina avenue, Eighth and B streets SE.—Reser、 vation 233, North Carolina avenue, Ninth and A streets SE.-The postand-chain fences inclosing these reservations were painted.

Reservation 208, Maryland avenue and E street, between Eighth and Ninth steeets NE-A part of this reservation was inclosed with a stake-and-wire fence.

Reservations 224 and 225, Delaware avenue and First street, between E and G streets NE.-These highly improved reservations having been donated to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad by the act of Congress approved February 12, 1901 (vol. 31, Stat., p. 774), this office during October, 1901, removed the post-and-chain fences which inclosed the reservations for use in other portions of the public grounds. Sod was cut from reservation 224 and soil removed therefrom and used in other reservations, and gravel was hauled to that reservation and stored there without any expense to the United States, and was afterwards removed and used in resurfacing roadways in other parks.

PROPAGATING GARDENS, INCLUDING GREENHOUSES AND NURSERY.

Necessary repairs were made to the various greenhouses during the year, and the large and valuable collection of plants was maintained in good condition."

Repairs were made to decayed woodwork in the houses, such as staging, rafters, sashes, etc., and all of the new work painted. Broken glass was replaced with new, and old glass reputtied where needed. The glass roofs of greenhouses were repainted and some miscellaneous painting and whitewashing done. Necessary attention was paid to the boilers and heating pipes, flues being opened and cleaned and leaks in hot-water pipes repaired.

Palm house No. 28 was remodeled and reconstructed. A new plant house was constructed. It is 130 feet long, 20 wide, and 15 feet high, and is heated by 1,560 feet of hot-water pipes.

House No. 18 was shortened 4 feet on the west side to make it conform to the line of the other houses. The open stokeholes of two greenhouses on same line which projected into the roadway between two rows of houses were covered with stone flagging, supported on iron girders, and with a manhole for the introduction of coal, removal of ashes, etc. Brick retaining walls were built up on the sides of the stokeholes. These changes were made to permit of the widening of the roadway at those points. A flagged footwalk 226 feet long and 2 feet 8 inches wide was laid on this roadway, and two granite gate posts set up and a double iron gate hung at its entrance.

There were propagated in the greenhouses during the year for stock and park planting and for other departments and institutions 783,588 plants, in 136 varieties, as shown by the tabulated statement in another part of this report. That statement also gives, in addition, a list of all other stock grown in the gardens and a list of stock purchased, planted, and distributed.

In May and June, 1902, 207 flower beds in the parks were planted by the gardening force at the gardens, 72 of them being in designs, 127 with mixed plants, 7 with tropical plants, and 1 with subtropical plants.

In the nursery the lawns were mown, young stock cared for, and the grounds maintained in a cleanly condition. The lawns were top

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