The comparative statement introduced in the last annual report, showing the relative cost of construction and maintenance per mile per annum, has been omitted as unnecessary at this time, as the period covered is not a full year, and the comparisons can be readily made by reference to Exhibits B and D.

On road maintenance $3,481.05 was expended on 634 miles of road, or $62 per mile for the nine months' period.

Monuments, tablets, and towers.-The maintenance charged to this account equals $405.75, and covered the painting of gun carriages, historical and distance and locality tablets, shell monuments, and shell markers, and for cleaning United States and State monuments and tablets where they became discolored from any cause, and all work performed in this connection.

Water supply. The principal expenditure on this account was for repairs and new pumps to replace those worn out in service. All pumps, iron water troughs and their connections were kept in good repair and painted, $61.20 being expended for the purpose.

Telephone line. The telephone line was kept in good order. There was no serious trouble on it, excepting in Chattanooga, where it was necessary to erect a short stretch of insulated wire on iron cross arms to eliminate trouble caused by electric-light wires near the power station; $8.89 was expended on this account.

CONSTRUCTION AND BETTERMENT OF ROADS, EXHIBIT D.

Exhibit D gives the amount spent on each road and the permanent improvements, which could not be properly classified as maintenance. These consist of paved guttering and gravel spread, masonry culvert head walls, new culverts, culverts provided with coping and stone revetment where high water during freshets in streams overflowed the road.

Nearly 4 miles of standard paved guttering has been built. This is distributed generally over the principal roads of the park and its approaches.

Ringgold road.-The principal revetment work was done on_the Ringgold road at East Chickamauga and at Peavine creeks. East Chickamauga Creek is particularly troublesome on account of the great range of water levels. It was impossible to maintain this road without revetment, which is placed on the downstream side of the embankment. At the point in the view at the carriage the water was at least 9 feet deep, and no damage was done to the road other than to wash off some of the top gravel, which lodged at the foot of the revetment.

The water on this creek reached a height within 4 inches of the top chord of the Ringgold bridge. Two earth and stone wing dams have been built on the side next to the creek to act as current deflectors, and they and the balance of the road slope on this side have been planted in willows, which show a good growth during the past season. At Peavine Creek the conditions were very similar, and the revetment as shown was built after high water had carried away about onehalf the fill, causing a large expenditure for maintenance. There have been two freshets since this revetment was constructed, without damage to the road.

Five masonry head walls were built at drains Nos. 17, 19, and 20,

completing the drainage of this road. These were not built on account of excessive water at the time the others were finished.

Mullis road. The work of widening the Mullis road to standard width was completed and the road was rolled and put in good order. Crest road.-On the Crest road at Bragg headquarters, Sherwood avenue, on the west side of the reservation, has been completed and graveled. The guttering on this side next to iron fence of Bragg reservation has been paved.

Lafayette road extension. This approach has been built to the corporation line of Lafayette, a distance of 13 miles from Lee and Gordon's mill. All permanent drainage has been provided, and, with the paved guttering that has been done since the completion of the roadway, has cost slightly in excess of $2,200 per mile. The matter of permanent drainage has been carefully considered throughout its entire length. The areas of all watershed catchment basins have been determined by rough surveys, and waterways have been provided for on this basis.

There is some trouble on this road, which is common to all the park roads in the rural districts, where abutting property owners do not provide suitable swinging gates where waterways enter their farms, but drive stakes which dam the water. These being located beyond the jurisdiction of your commission, this trouble is difficult to remedy. Fourteen masonry head walls to seven pipe drains were built, completing this work on this road. The revetments were built at minor waterways.

Cravens, roads, and paths.-A new path 1,500 feet in length by 4 feet wide was built along the palisades from Point Rock southward to and beyond the head of the stairs which terminate at Geary Station on the Old incline.

This step line, which contains 501 linear feet of stair flights, 4 feet wide with 12-inch treads and 7-inch risers, contains 12 landings where seats are provided for resting places.

Rough heart pine lumber was used in the stairs, landing places, and braces, with the hand railings, posts, and seats of dressed material of the same quality.

The material was all delivered at the top of the mountain in Point Park, and was lowered over the palisades. All posts and supports were placed on solid rock or on stone pedestals, and raised above the ground so that leaves and trash can not find lodgment and may be cleaned away, as the greatest danger that threatens this work is from forest fires, which generally enter the park from outside sources, as the premises are carefully guarded against fires from within.

The cost of the steps, with the path approaches, amounts to $106.66, of which $255.85 was for lumber, $7.18 for nails, and $143.63 was for labor.

INCLOSURES AND FENCING.

Chickamauga Park.-Five miles of "Page" fence, 20 bar 58-inch woven wire, has been built on the western, northern, and eastern boundaries of the park. This fence was erected on cedar posts in 16-foot panels, thoroughly braced. It was necessary in a great many instances to blast holes for the fence where the rock was close to the surface, although no effort was made to have the panels exactly 16 feet at these points.

Six "Page" woven-wire fence gates 16 feet wide, six 14 feet wide, and ten 10 feet wide were provided at roads of the different classes, the 10-foot gates being used at farm roads, and ten 4-foot walk gates to furnish ample places of ingress and egress to the park were provided. Three miles additional of the same type of fence, together with 1,150 cedar posts, two 16-foot drive gates, three 20-foot, five 10-foot drive, and three 4-foot walk gates have been purchased and will be erected on the eastern and western boundaries of the park.

Craven's place.-The stone wall which forms the eastern boundary to this reservation has been rebuilt for a distance of 860 feet to a height of from 3 to 3 feet. This wall had tumbled down in a number of places and has been rebuilt with the material of which it was constructed, with additional stone gathered up from the property. It is proposed to cap this wall with a rustic, rough, crenelated finish, hammered into shape.

Crest road. The guard rail on the crest road of Missionary Ridge has been repainted throughout, a distance of 6,600 feet.

There has been an expenditure of $3,785.51 for labor and material on account of inclosures and fencing.

FIELD WORK.

Under this head was expended $1,349.83. Dead and dangerous trees have been removed from the roadside and at other points in the park where it is advisable to remove them, and windfalls have been cut up and piled.

The manure from the quartermaster's corral, deposited in the Vittetoe field, was hauled and spread on park lands. All of the Dyer fields, Brotherton, Snodgrass, Poe, and Kelley fields were given a liberal quantity, and grass seed was sown at this time.

Six thousand one hundred and seventy-seven cubic yards were hauled and spread, at a cost ranging from 14 to 16 cents per cubic yard, the higher cost covering the longer hauls to the Snodgrass fields. While this work was in progress all washes and gullies in the open fields were filled with pine brush, obtained by thinning out the trees in old fields on the Kinsey and other places, to prevent further washing. This brush was weighted down with rock, and manure was thrown on top, to promote the growth of grass, weeds, and briars. Nine hundred and eighty-eight large wagon loads were used at the park, and all gullies, wherever found, were treated as described. Constant attention will have to be given at these points to further correct this erosion. Sherman Reservation was also treated where washes were forming, and brush and weeds were used in combination with rock dams.

At the Cravens Reservation the discharges from 3 pipe drains at the railroad were forming gullies, and rock dams with brush were freely used in these also.

TREES AND SHRUBBERY, EXHIBIT C.

A charge of $376.08 was entered on this account. Systematic work, having for its object the restoration of the forest in fields that were cleared since the battle, has been inaugurated. A liberal supply of tree seed has been gathered, and a nursery, containing about 3 acres, has been established in an inclosure at the Peters place, and one,

containing about three-fourths of an acre, has been established at the old Dyer garden at park headquarters.

Seeds of native forest trees have been planted at both places and have been cared for and cultivated, and, in addition, forest tree seeds have been planted at the Sherman Reservation, and in many of the fields in Chickamauga Park.

Great care has been taken to prevent fires from getting into these fields.

Native forest seedlings have also been planted where needed in Chickamauga Park and in the Sherman Reservation, and 1,260 Botanic Garden forest nursery seedlings have been planted in an inclosure at Brannon's.

The grass seed received from the Department of Agriculture has been sowed generally throughout the park and the various reservations in the Tennessee division. The varieties and disposition of the above trees and seeds are shown in detail in Exhibit C.

The various ornamental trees and shrubs received from the National Botanic Garden have been planted at the various houses on the park, where they will receive care and attention.

A careful examination indicates that the seeds planted were generally fruitful.

The Ringgold road crosses three creeks and at several points runs along their banks parallel to them, and considerable damage has been done in the past during freshets at these points.

Early in the spring willows were planted on the slopes, and although submerged and the slopes washed a number of times, they have made a good growth, which will serve to protect these exposed slopes.

A list of the trees noticed in the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park is as follows, and includes many varieties, although black-jack and pine predominate:

The following trees and plants were received from the National Botanic Garden at Washington, D. C., December, 1900, and cared for preparatory to planting same:

These have been planted at places indicated in the beginning of the remarks under this head.

Packages of the following tree, shrub, and flower seeds from the Hon. W. R. Smith, superintendent of the National Botanic Garden, were received and planted:

These were planted in a supplemental nursery at park headquarters, and duplicates were given to persons who expressed a desire to raise them, as our facilities for floral culture are very restricted.