ousand square yards, have been repaired and rolled during the year; out 1,500 cubic yards of gravel have been used in these repairs. The lawns have been mown several times, rolled and edged along the ads and paths and sodded where trespassers had damaged them; out 700 square yards of sod have been laid in various places; about 050 cubic yards of compost was spread over the lawns during the inter for fertilizing purposes and raked off at the opening of spring. The four stone pillars on the line of the iron fence on the north oundary of the grounds were repaired and painted.

All gutters, drains, and sewer traps have been cleaned from time to me during the year.

In various portions of the grounds about 3,300 square feet of cobble. one gutters have been laid and about 540 feet of brick gutters reaired.

A new drain 140 feet long, of 8-inch terra-cotta pipe, has been laid a trench 3 feet deep and a new trap constructed connecting the guters with this drain.

During the summer season sprinkling carts were used regularly to eep down the dust on the drives.

All sidewalks around the reservation have been kept free from weeds nd in as good order as possible; all dead wood has been cut from trees nd shrubs and five dead trees removed.

By authority of the War Department sacred concerts were permitted a these grounds on Sunday afternoons in May, 1887. They were largely ttended by a class of our industrious fellow-citizens whose duties durng the week prevent them from attending concerts at other times.

I consider this plan of Sunday concerts admirable and trust they will De continued. I can imagine no better use to which our public parks an be placed than that of aiding the rational enjoyment on Sunday of hose of our people whose entire time is occupied on week days with heir labors.

HENRY (ARMORY) PARK AND SEATON PARK.

These parks have been improved as far as funds would admit and have been maintained in good order during the year.

All grass surfaces have been mown from time to time, all roads and paths raked, rolled, and repaired, and gutters and drain traps cleaned. In Henry (Armory) Park, the construction of the mound around the Baltimore and Potomac depot has been continued and about 12,000 cubic yards of earth placed upon it and the southern extremity graded.

The railroad company, by authority of the Secretary of War, has constructed an ornamental stone wall along the western boundary line of that portion of the reservation used for depot purposes by authority of an act of Congress.

The lawn surfaces at various localities where the grass had been destroyed by trespassers was resodded; the two stone pillars on the line of the iron fence on the north boundary of the park were repaired and painted; the grounds near the Armory Building were graded, partly sodded, seeded down, and a number of evergreen trees planted.

The circle in front of the Armory was graded, a handsome willowtree planted in the center and surrounded with flowers.

In the northwest portion of Seaton Park, a new drain of 128 feet of S-inch terra-cotta pipe was placed in position and the gutters connected with it by means of three new sewer-traps.

The old brick house in the park, near Four-and-a-half street and Missouri avenue, which in its dilapidated condition had for many years

been far from ornamental, and which was of no use in that local torn down and the brick used for other purposes on the public grez The wood-work was so far decayed as to be utterly worthless. A some lodge for the watchman was constructed in the southwest se of the park, near Maine avenue.

The lawn surfaces were repaired at various localities by res where the grass had been destroyed by trespassers.

Every effort was made to keep these handsome parks in good e though extensive improvements are still necessary to mainta beauty which their prominence demands.

It is earnestly urged that a special appropriation be made for coz ing the mound around the depot and planting it with trees, and f construction of an asphalt walk along the sides of the main roa tween Third and Seventh streets.

RESERVATIONS NORTH OF PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE AND WEST OF CAPITOL.

This division of the city comprises fifty-six highly and partiall proved reservations, covering an area of about 108 acres and lo between First and Twenty-eighth streets west and B and Q 877north. It includes the highly improved parks known as Washi Circle, Rawlins Square, Dupont Circle, Scott Circle, Lafayette Sq Franklin Square, Farragut Square, McPherson Square, Mount Ver Square, Iowa Circle, Thomas Circle, and Judiciary Square.

During the year the lawns have been mown twice each month betr June 1 and November 30, and watered during the dry season; the gins edged and trimmed; the gutters and drain-lodges cleaned once each month; the roads and paths weeded, raked, and rolled i in two months; the trees and shrubs pruned, cleared of caterpillars, the young trees and shrubs and flower beds watered during the 3 season; new trees and shrubs were planted and beds of ornamental liage, flowering and tropical plants set out. This is a part of the regi annual work, and is necessarily mentioned in the yearly reports.

During the winter a large amount of compost was prepared and spr over the lawns of the varions parks, and raked therefrom in the spri After the removal in the autumn of the summer flowering and fol plants, 26 beds in the various parks were planted with blooming chr anthemums, and still later 27 beds in Lafayette, Thomas, Scott, Dupe Franklin, and other improved reservations were planted with 174 bulbs of various kinds, adding greatly to the beauty of the parks wh they bloomed in the early spring.

During the winter season plank footwalks were laid on regular lir of travel through the south grounds of the Executive Mansion, Was ington Circle, Franklin and Mount Vernon squares.

At Franklin Square 168 square yards of asphalt walks were laid, e necting I and K streets through the middle of the square, and in Moc Vernon Square 256 yards of similar paths were laid on the line of Eigh street. All the gravel paths in these squares were also repaired andi proved.

The statue of General Rawlins was removed from Rawlins Square! authority of an act of Congress, and the two large vases formerly on ea side of the statue were transferred, the one to the reservation att corner of Massachusetts avenue and Twentieth street, and the other: Marion Reservation on South Carolina avenue, between Fourth al Sixth streets east.

The former site of the statue was cleared of foundation stone, filled with soil, and sodded over.

Two unimproved and one partially improved reservations have been ighly improved by grading, sodding, and planting with trees and hrubs. Two of them have been inclosed with posts and chain fences. They are as follows:

Reservation No. 20, corner of Pennsylvania avenue and Twentyighth street northwest, containing an area of 3,502 square feet. The ost and pipe rail fence, badly broken, was removed from the reservaion and four willow trees overhanging the fountain were cut down. New gravel walks with granite curbing were constructed around the ountain; the lawns were graded and sodded, and a large, handsome iron ase placed in position and filled with flowers.

Reservation No. 132, corner of Twentieth and Q streets northwest, containing an area of 8,536 square feet. The surface of this reservaion was reduced to conform to the grades of adjacent streets, and it was surrounded with a post and chain fence; 500 cubic yards of clay vere removed and 200 cubic yards of good soil deposited on the reservation; the lawn was seeded down, the margins sodded, and 80 ornanental flowering shrubs, 6 evergreen, and 6 deciduous trees planted. The reservation is now highly improved.

Reservation No. 171, at the intersection of New Jersey avenue, Second, and I streets, containing an area of 5,725 square feet. This reservation was graded and sodded, water introduced, and gravel paths constructed across it; 110 flowering shrubs were planted on the lawns and the small park surrounded with a post and chain fence, thus completing, with the triangle opposite to it, a very handsome improvement in this section of the city.

At the close of the fiscal year the various improved reservations in this division of the city, north of Pennsylvania avenue and west of the Capitol, with the exception of a portion of Judiciary Square around the new Pension Building, were in excellent condition.

RESERVATIONS EAST OF THE CITY.

The improved reservations in this section of the city consist of Lincoln Square, Stanton Square, Folger Square, Marion Square (South Carolina avenue between Fourth and Sixth streets east), and a number of smaller parks on Pennsylvania avenue, Maryland avenue, and Dela

ware avenue.

To these reservations No. 48 has been added during the year.

This reservation, at the intersection of Pennsylvania avenue and South Carolina avenue east, contains an area of 13,523 square feet; previous to its improvement it was used as a dumping-ground for refuse; it was properly graded, surface coated with good soil, edges sodded, and lawn sown down with grass seed; a handsome flower bed was planted.

Reservation No. 49, immediately opposite No. 48, containing an area of 15,344 square feet, was surrounded by a post and chain fence, and a flower-bed planted in it.

Reservations Nos. 35 and 36, heretofore highly improved, the one containing an area of 8,544 square feet, the other an area of 5,994 square feet, were transferred to the Library Commission for the site of the new Congressional Library.

During the coming year reservations 48, 49, and 50 will be planted with trees and shrubs, and it is hoped that funds will admit of the im

provement of one or more additional reservations in this section of city.

The improvement of the large reservation on South Carolina ave between Fourth and Sixth streets east, containing an area of about acres, was completed during the year; the gravel walks of this p cover an area of about 1,500 square yards, and the lawn surfaces ab 6,300 square yards.

It is recommended that this park, situated on South Carolina ave be hereafter known as "Marion Park," in memory of the distinguisi-! soldier from South Carolina who served his country so gallantly in war of the Revolution.

The usual care was given to all improved reservations through this section of the city; the large parks and many of the smaller e were surface-coated with compost during the winter, about 1,000 cz yards having been used for this purpose; all lawns were mown raked from time to time, paths and roads raked, repaired, and rol lawns edged, gutters and drain-traps cleaned, trees and shrubs pru mulched, and watered, flower beds laid out and planted, and ab2,600 bulbs set out in Lincoln and Stanton squares.

Unfortunately, we have had much trouble in protecting our for beds in these parks. Plants and bulbs were frequently pulled up by: roots at night after the watchmen had gone home. On one occas forty hyacinths were plucked from a bed in Stanton Square. M annoyance has also been caused by chickens running at large and stroying the lawns and flower-beds. The law appears to grant nop tection in the latter case.

The various fountains have been repaired and put in good work. order, and the drain pipes in Lincoln Square, occasionally clogged roots, have been taken up, cleaned out, and replaced.

At the close of the year all improved reservations in this section the city were in good order.

RESERVATION NO. 17, GARFIELD PARK.

This reservation, situated south of the Capitol, between South Ca tol street and Third street east, contains an area of about 24 acres. is located in a section of the city which, up to this date, has not bee highly improved by private enterprise.

The work of improvement was commenced in 1883, and up to th time the sum of $90,000 has been appropriated, of which $78,500 h.. been expended, $1,500 returned to the Treasury, and $10,000 is at the time, July 5, 1887, available.

The original estimate of cost of the improvement was $135,000; will require further appropriations of $45,000 to complete the work, which $10,000 can be profitably expended during the next fiscal year. Operations during the past year have been mainly devoted to the eastern division of the park, which is now nearly completed. Virgin avenue, as it passed through this section, was closed and the south eastern portion of the park, covering an area of about 4 acres, was graded to correspond with the city grade of H street south; a sidewalk of gravel, 12 feet wide, was constructed along I street betwee First and Third streets, and about 1,000 linear feet of curbing placed in position.

Nine hundred linear feet of roadway, 30 feet wide, covering an area of 3,000 square yards, and 891 linear feet of gravel paths, 10 feet wide. covering an area of about 1,000 square yards, were constructed.

About 2,000 cubic yards of gravel and 300 cubic yards of broken one were used in these roads.

In grading the park about 11,000 cubic yards of earth, clay, gravel, d sand were excavated and moved, about 6,000 yards of which were mped as refuse some distance from the park and the remainder used the improvements in progress.

At different portions of the reservation there were laid 152 square rds of brick pavement, 100 square yards of cobble and blue stone itters, and 144 square yards of trap-rock pavement; 915 linear feet of ain-pipe was laid in trenches to carry off the water from springs to

e sewers.

About 5,000 cart-loads of soil were used on the lawn surfaces of the graded section, and these lawn surfaces were sown with grass seed, rrowed, and rolled; about 700 square yards of sod were laid on the argins of roads and on the southern boundary of the reservation. Much attention has been given during the year to planting; 2,120 deduous and evergreen trees and shrubs were set out, and the reservaon now contains some of the handsomest specimens in the public rounds.

During the coming year it is proposed to entirely complete the imrovement of the eastern section and to continue the improvement of he western section of the park.

UBLIC RESERVATIONS OCCUPIED BY THE BALTIMORE AND POTOMAC RAILROAD COMPANY.

Attention is invited to the recommendation in my last annual report 1 reference to reservation No. 101.

This reservation, lying just south of the Smithsonian Park, contains bout 24 acres and is unimproved; it is partly occupied by the Balti ore and Potomac Railroad Company, the tracks of which run through he reservation. The laws under which the company claim authority or their occupancy are fully set forth in my last annual report.

The return of the reservation to the purpose for which it was origially intended, namely, a public park for the adornment of the city, is greatly desired by citizens living in the vicinity.

I renew the estimate of $3,000 submitted last year for the improvenent of this reservation. If the appropriation is made, it should be coupled with the provision that the track running through the grounds across Seventh street into Maryland avenue shall be at once removed by the railroad company.

Attention is invited to the fact, that without authority of law, and in ny opinion in direct violation of section 222 of the Revised Statutes reating to the District of Columbia, the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Company is now occupying United States Reservations Nos. 174, 178, 241, and 309.

I have reported fully, from time to time, the facts of the occupancy of he reservations by the railroad company and was informed, under date of February 19, 1887, by the United States district attorney for the Disrict of Columbia, that the Attorney General of the United States had referred the papers in the case to him and instructed him "to institute such proceedings as the facts of the case warrant and as may be necessary for the enforcement of the law against the company and the mainenance of the rights and interests of the United States in the premises." I am not aware whether any action has been taken in the case up to his date.

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