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V62/2880, unit 749, VPRS 1189/P inward registered correspondence, VA 475 Chief Secretary's Department, Public Record Office, Victoria. 62.05.01bPreferred Citation:
Ferdinand von Mueller to John O'Shanassy, 1862-05-01 [62.05.01b]. R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora, J.H. Voigt and Monika Wells (eds), Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, <https://vmcp.rbg.vic.gov.au/id/62-05-01b>, accessed April 19, 2025
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MS written by Ernst Heyne and signed by M.
1st May 1862
Sir
In submitting to you a brief report on the progress of the work in the botanic Gardens
during the past month I have the honor of drawing your attention to the improvements,
which have taken place in the forcing houses, where not only the enlargements have
been completed, but also new arrangements have been made for their most convenient
working.
Some of the old narrow walks have been widened, the avenue on the Yarra has been completed,
and the native trees have been partially removed and partially trimmed in the Araucaria
plantation in order to afford more scope to the now already conspicuous young trees.
The general flower borders received an autumn dressing, and thus the whole ground
may be regarded as in an excellent state of order.
In the reserve between the garden and the City bridge the trenching for the reception
of a double row of good sized Elms has been proceeded with, and it is my intention
to make now the commencement of planting pines along the slope facing the Yarra River.
The whole slope between the Garden and the City bridge will probably afford space
for 40 000 of these noble trees, and we may anticipate, that the total effect of a
pine forest on these slopes, in which the majestic forms of the Deodars, Wellingtonias
and Stonepines prevail, must finally be grand when viewed from the City.
Preparations are also commenced to establish a line of the fragrant Pittosporum undulatum
along the fence which separates the Museum reserve from that of the Observatory.
A supply of the seeds gathered during the last season has been distributed to the
principal botanic Gardens abroad during the month.
Amongst the donations which we received are to be recorded as most important a very
extensive collection of vine cuttings from the famous l'école Luxembourg. Although
these cuttings have somewhat suffered during the voyage, we hope that the majority
will grow and that these very many new and celebrated kinds of vines will be gained
for Victorian vineyards. His Excellency Sir Will. Denison presented a case with epiphytal
Orchids gathered in the Madras presidency and has promised to introduce the Cinchona
trees into our country.
A valuable consignment of seeds of herbaceous plants arrived from Sir Will. Hooker
of Kew, and a good supply of seeds of Himalaian pines from Dr Th. Anderson Director
of the botanic garden of Calcutta.
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The earliest reference in the surviving correspondence to M's having received Cinchona plants from Denison is in M to J. McCulloch, 30 September 1865. However, Denison reports having sent Cinchona plants to M earlier: W. Denison to W. Hooker, 21 July 1864, RBG Kew, Directors' correspondence, vol 57, f. 54. Note that not all the consignments
Denison sent to Australia survived: see Brisbane courier, 7 September 1865, p. 4, regarding the failure of a shipment to the Brisbane Botanic
Gardens.
For the Museum we obtained collections of dried plants gathered during Mr F Gregory's
recent expedition from Nikol Bay into the North East interior of Western Australia,
also plants obtained during the voyage of the Victoria to the North coast. A collection
of botanical specimens from Central Australia, gathered by Mr J. Macd. Stuart in his
last expedition, has been submitted for examination.
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The plants from Francis Gregory's expedition were published as B63.04.03. No single
account was published of the plants collected during the voyage of Victoria in relief of Burke and Wills (see notes to M to R. Heales, 2 September 1861), but new species collected by Diedrich Henne were published in issues of M's Fragmenta, for example in B62.04.03, B62.05.01 and B64.06.01. Specimens collected by Henne
were also used by Bentham (1862-78) when giving geographic data, for example in vol.
1, p.111, and vol. 5, p. 253.
The 17 No. of the fragmenta phytographiae Australiae
has been published during the month.
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B62.04.01.
I have the honor to be
Sir
Your most obedient and humble servant
Ferd. Mueller.
The Honorable the Chief Secretary.
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MS file annotation by O'Shanassy, 10 May 1862: 'Read'.