Prospect Place. Prospect Place, as stated in the definitions of local names, is the labor center of the park and includes the residence of the foreman, barn, and other necessary buildings. We have repaired and repapered the interior of this residence so that it can not only accommodate the foreman and his family and the laborers, but can also be used to provide sleeping accommodations for a limited. number of visitors who cannot be lodged at Glen Iris. For the social entertainment of the workmen, we converted a small building, formerly used for paintshop and woodshed, into a club-house and work-shop. In the club room were facilities for reading and amusements. On December 20, 1912, the club-house was accidentally destroyed by fire, but we have replaced this by another building 16 x 20 feet in size, moved from Chestnut Lawn and fitted as a club house. Chestnut Lawn. Chestnut Lawn is a fine farm of meadow land on the north side of the Riverway at the extreme eastern end of the park. Here there is a cottage, a modern barn with silo and other small buildings. From the Chestnut Lawn and Prospect Place farms we harvested in 1912, 695 bushels of oats, 200 bushels of corn, 40 bushels of wheat and 82 tons of hay. The average cost of the oats was 26 36/100 cents a bushel. We will have enough oats to carry us through the year, including seed for the spring planting. Upon the Chestnut Lawn farm we have placed a flock of 104 sheep. Forest Arboretum. During the past year the custodian Society, with the co-operation of the Federal and State authorities, has begun an Arboretum which promises to be the most complete of its kind in the world. The Arboretum has been begun in the area east and west of the Letchworth Park Road and north of the Riverway, opposite Lauterbrunnen. Forest trees of all kinds that will grow in this climate are being planted in blocks, to be cultivated under scientific care and observation. The new Library and Museum Building contains rooms for an herbarium and research work in con nection with Arboretum. The Arboretum will be distinctively a forest arboretum as distinguished from an arboretum of ornamental trees or curiosities. Its purpose is to learn facts and furnish practical information which will serve as the basis for the intelligent conservation of the forest resources not only of the State of New York but also of the United States. In this respect it will differ from the Arnold Arboretum at Cambridge, the Kew Gardens at London, and all the other well known institutions of the kind. We expect to begin our studies with the following experiments: A study of the comparative results of drill sowing and broadcast sowing in the nursery beds. A study of the comparative results of light broadcasting and heavy broadcasting A study of the comparative strength of seedlings grown in beds manured and beds not manured; and A study of the comparative height and growth of seedlings of different species under similar and different conditions. These are nursery experiments and more of a similar nature will be made, both in the nursery and the Arboretum itself. When in Washington in June, the Director of the Park, Mr. Dow, had an interview with Mr. W. M. Hays, Assistant Secretary of Agriculture, who expressed great interest in the Arboretum. A few days later he sent to us the following interesting memorandum concerning forest tree breeding: "First enter into the breeding of two species, one like Black Walnut which will be reproduced by seeds, another like Cottonwood which will be reproduced by cuttings. Carry out the work with these two species in plats on one of the open fields, securing seeds from many mother plants from widely separated sources, and at the end of the first generation about fifteen yearsdiscard all but the progeny of the mother plants which give the best trees. In securing mother trees try to find some which are not only rapid growers, but also have curly wood. Have the Arboretum in touch with Walnut breeders and hybridizers everywhere and keep a record of what is being done by all breeders of this and related species. When any breeder produces a strikingly good thing, secure a sample for the Arboretum and thus make this place both a center of Walnut breeding and a center showing the steps in advancement in Walnut breeding. "In the case of the Cottonwood or other species to be reproduced by cuttings, get cuttings from any widely distributed mother plants. At the end of five years or ten discard all but the few most promising. Distribute cuttings from those which turn out best and continue to select cuttings from mother plants, including those found to be especially valuable by other breeders of this species. Make a collection of the stock of these species as developed or discovered by other breeders. "The second line of work I suggest is that the Arboretum be not only an Arboretum of native species but gradually that there be built up also an Arboretum of varieties of all forest trees which may be developed by breeding. I would include in this all hybrids such as Burbank's hybrids between the Black and English Walnut and all stocks which are worthy of being made commercial, resulting from the breeding of forest trees everywhere. Thus the State will have, not only the first forest Arboretum, but the first Arboretum of cultivated varieties of forest trees.” The total number of trees planted in the Arboretum is 111,967. The total number of species represented is 55, of which 25 are conifers and 30 are broad-leaved. Of the 55 specics planted, 17 are exotics and of these 8 are conifers and 9 are broad-leaved. The total area planted during the season of 1912 approximates 30 acres. Most of this area was in sod ground. About 4% acres were old ground and 15 acres were sown to wheat in the spring of 1911. All fields were plowed and sub-soiled to a depth of about 14 inches; and the subsequent tilling of the soil was followed, as would be the case in preparing the ground for grain or new seeding. After the soil was thoroughly harrowed with a drag harrow, and thus made as smooth as possible, the field was marked off both ways with the required spacing by means of a corn marker. The spacing was 4 by 4 on some blocks and 4% by 4% feet on others. The first block planted was White Pine (Pinus strobus). The trees were part of a donation from the Conservation Commission, Albany, N. Y., and were sent from its nurseries at Saranac Inn, N. Y. In this block were set 5,500 trees, three-year transplants. The planting that followed the initial block was made up of many varieties of conifer and broad-leaved species. No attempt was made to conform to any prescribed size of block, this being determined largely by the amount of stock of a given species on hand. The blocks vary in size, from less than an acre to several Block 31.. Black Locust (Robinia pseudacacia). 10,000 trees, planted alternately, the last 4.000 Black Locust planted as a pure stand. Block 32. European Larch (Larix leptolepsis). Veitch Fir (Abies veitchii). All of the stock planted in 1912 was donated by the leading nurserymen of this country and Europe. However, the Director purchased 10,000 Norway Pine (Pinus resinosa), 10,000 Silver Fir (Abies pectinata) and 7,700 Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum). The nurseryman was constantly on the watch for any signs of the Gypsy Moth (Porthetria dispar), the Brown-Tail Moth (Euproctis chrysorrhaea), the San José Scale (Aspidiotus perniciosus), and the White Marked Tussock-Moth (Hemerocampa leucostigma) on nursery stock received from any of the Mas-achusetts nurseries. J. J. Barden of the State Board of Agricul ture paid weekly visits to the park to inspect the stock as it was received. No discased stock was found. The loss of the first year's planting has run rather high in some blocks while in others it has been negligible. This is true of hardwoods and conifers alike. The average has been abou: 18 per cent. Nursery. Our nursery was begun with the making of 54 seed-beds. On July 13, two beds were sown with Western White Pine seed (Pinus monticola), collected in the Coeur d'Alene National Forest in the fall of 1908. In testing these seeds for soundness, 100 seeds were placed upon a sheet of blotting paper and separately crushed, the exudation of oil indicating soundness. Only 2 of the 100 seeds proved unsound. Another 100 were sown the same day and under like conditions to test their germinating power, and only 15 came up. As this seed was four years old and planted late in the season its germination was much retarded. The Norway and White Spruce, European Larch and some White Pine seeds in other beds were slow in germinating; but the year's results are gratifying, considering the condition under which the beds were established, and the young seedlings in the nursery are progressing well. The beds have been carefully weeded and extra precautions taken to prevent damping off. During the summer of 1912 some of the species showed signs of disease and on August 9 samples of affected Norway Spruce, White Pine and Silver Pine were sent to our consulting dendrologist, George B. Sudworth, of the United States Department of Agriculture, and by him referred to the Bureau of Plant Industry. On August 22 the Bureau reported that the disease was damping off. The losses from this source were confined to two or three beds. Some of the losses were due to rodents. During October a bushel of Linden sced, a bushel of White Oak, a bushel of chestnuts and nearly two barrels of Sugar maple seed were gathered. We are now collecting seeds from all over the world, from both commercial nurseries and governments, covering all varieties that we are sure will thrive at Letchworth Park and others that will possibly grow in this climate. These will be put in nursery beds next spring. Pipes have been laid for a water supply for the nursery. The hydraulic ram and tank for this installation are at hand and will be in place before the coming season. Four sacks of lawn grass seed, 16 bushels, were received in July, having been donated by Conrad Appel of Darmstadt, Ger many. Plans are well advanced for a large nursery in 1913, and at the present writing we have 150 new seed bed boxes and frames made for the early planting of seed in the spring of 1913. The wire that is to cover these seed boxes and frames is what is termed "two mesh" wire cloth, it being made of 18 gauge wire, woven in a square mesh 11⁄2 inch apart, and is galvanized after weaving. This wire is for the purpose of protecting the seed from the ravages of rodents and birds after sowing. Roads. The park contains about seven miles of roads, 11⁄2 miles of paths, and several bridges of different sizes which need repairs and improvements. Since the property has been given to the State and has become non-taxable, the local Highway Commissioners |