Ferdinand von Mueller

Melbourne bot. Garden

14/3/66

Sir

In compliance with the request conveyed in your minute of yesterday,

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See footnotes M to J. McCulloch, 10 March 1866 (in this edition as 66-03-10a).

I have the honor of submitting once more a detailed statement in reference to the expenditure of the botanic Garden and the institutions connected therewith.

The tables of future expenditure, herewith proposed, are elaborated with scrupulous care; they omit whatever is not absolutely necessary for the vigorous performance of the work in all branches of the botanical establishment; but the outlay indicated could not materially be reduced without crippling well organised arrangements or without abandoning some of the duties now devolving on the department or without bringing progressive work of improvement at a standing still.

As it is impossible to judge correctly the requirements of my institution without an intimate knowledge of its workings and the calls made on it, I beg leave to draw your attention primarely to the following points.

1, that the botanical Garden and its connected institutions are second only to those of Kew , compared with any under the British Crown. I do not desire to contend, that not other establishments in Britain are more enlarged in one or the other branch, be it for instance in the technological Museum, or the extent of Conservatories or any other speciality . But I am persuaded, that as a whole in its combined scientific and practical work our garden stands next to Kew and unique in the southern hemisphere. The annual expenditure of Kew Gardens with its museum-branches approaches to fourty thousand pounds Sterling in a country where wages are much lower,

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in a country where wages are much lower is a marginal addition by M.

exclusive of any larger buildings. And if I am rightly informed the structure or conservatory for Australian and South African plants has cost alone £60,000. The expenditure (without taking building votes into consideration) for the British Museum amounts closely to £100,000 pr. year. I instance this with a view of pointing out, that national establishments cannot be maintained truely useful to great interest of science & of the community without considerable sacrifices of means. If the botanical Garden of Melbourne is to be regarded as a national one for Victoria I cannot hope to be able to reduce much the votes hitherto annually granted.

2, The botanic Garden together with the adjoining reserves embraces an area of nearly four hundred acres , if the willow-planted Yarra banks are included

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if the willow-planted Yarra banks are included is a marginal addition by M.

according to the plans, which I had the honor to submit along with my last annual report, and of which I beg to annex a copy. Willow plantations & other plantings having been carried on outside of the reserves on the Yarra flats, it will be found that about 400 acres of ground are furnished with plants. The details are inserted on the tabulated schedules, which I now beg to present. I do not think, that besides Kew any other Governments Establishment of kindred tendency has to provide for the maintenance of so extensive an area of both garden and park-land.

3, The whole or almost the whole of the extensive area consists of land of great sterility , belonging to the silurian clay slate formation. Could we boast of the magnificent basaltic ridges of the public gardens or park of Geelong, it would not be needful to spend on the planting of trees &c much labor and fund for improvement or the conveyance of soil. It may be remarked, that under such disadvantages the attempts to raise pines and other noble trees on the area under my control (copiously) is to be regretted. In reply I would beg to observe, that unfortunately the garden was placed at the early days of the colony in a position too remote from the city to be accessible to the general public except on Sundays, Holidays and Saturday afternoons. Finding myself when called to the Directorship unable to remedy this evil, I at once attempted to convert the bare hills near the city bridge into Parkland for the healthful enjoyments of the families of the citizens. If in doing so I find the soil less favorable than in many other parts of Victoria, and if thus planting-operations involve a somewhat higher expense than elsewhere, I should still think that these difficulties must not deter me in continuing a work commenced for the public good.

4, The very many thousands of Pines and of other trees planted on the reserves under my surveillance are besides to furnish seeds in masses hereafter for forest culture which ere long will require to be commenced. All this is foreign to a botanic Garden in an ordinary sense of the word, but becomes allow me to observe a necessity in a young country like ours, unless a special department under special expense is at once created for forest culture.

5, Permanent improvements are under progress, and thus in the earlier stages of development of an institution like mine larger outlays are needed, than will afterwards be required . Thus the property of the Government is permanently increased. Much of the iron fencings, basalt-structures, glazed drainpipes, galvanized iron pipes &c &c will be still valuable and serviceable at the end of this century or longer.

6, The Garden and its institutions are not unnecessarily extensive ; for in proportion to the larger population of the Victorian Metropolis, when compared with other colonial cities, our institutions have been generally based on a larger foundation. I am also conscious, that the grant for my department is smaller, than that obtained in some of the neighbooring colonies to similar institutions, if the far more extended requirements here are taken into consideration.

7, The scientific branch connected with the botanic garden is in the colonies perfectly unique . I may direct attention to the circumstance, that without any scientific aid whatever and merely manually assisted I have issued nine (9) independent volumes of phytographic writings under this Government, and up to this date furnished so much of the material for the work of the President of the Linnean Society, that 3 volumes (again quite different in tendency to mine) emanated in London, which without my sole aid could have never appeared.

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The first three volumes of Flora australiensis.

8, Most valuable property has also accumulated in the botanical museum , the number of arranged & examined specimens there amounting to not much less of three hundred thousand.

9, A valuable library is connected with the Department , much more extensive in its kind, than that in any similar institution in any of the British Colonies.

10, A chemical laboratory is finished , much needed, as pointed out repeatedly in my annual reports, and now by your and the hon. Geo. Verdon's kindness available for operations, in order that the native products of vegetable substances useful in manufactures and arts may be thoroughly tested. I am not aware, that even such an institution exists at Kew; but under ever so great economy its activity will involve some small annual expense, which however will be well spent.

11, Active measures have been taken to form plantations of chinese tea shrubs and other plants of universal use , or to provide extensively plants for such a purpose. In endeavoring to serve thus the community, I have as yet not involved the Government in any expense whatever purposely, but succeeded in doing this by husbanding the comparatively slender means under my control.

12, The Garden is called on to supply plants cuttings and seeds to from two hundred to three hundred public institutions annually . This I regard, supported by Government and Parliament, as a just duty, in as much as the establishment is maintained out of the General revenue, and the country districts cannot profit by direct enjoyment or direct information from it; and thus while contributing to its support they are receiving at least a small share of the direct advantages, which the garden confers. If the vote is to be reduced, these supplies must cease, and I fear discontentedness would arise in the country districts. I find, that even places, where Gardens are supported by Government & Parliament in other parts of Victoria, are claiming large supplies from my institutions, though I notice even recently a public statement, that an other Garden in an other town, supported by Government by a subsidy, offers to distribute plants all over the colony, while the institutions of the very town call here for supplies & still continue to render their applications here.

13, Scarcely a public fete or festival of any kind takes place without a demand for boughs and flowers being made for decoration . These calls are almost daily, often several on one day; & I verily believe, that to respond to these calls, as I am obliged by gazetted regulations, absorbs nearly if not fully the time of one gardener throughout the year.

In having now briefly explained the extremely varied nature of the work of this department and also its very extensive operations, I beg leave, Sir, to draw your friendly attention to the appartition of the hitherto available fund, so as to do justice to each branch of the service here.

The schedules annexed afford a ready insight into the expenditure; they are based on the submitted estimate for 1866 with omission of the salary for the Assistantship, which office is certainly superfluous. In advocating its abolishment I beg to point out, that I am led by no personal considerations. In carrying out your own wishes of retrenchment I feel, that I have to deal with offices and not with persons, that I owe to you to point out what services can best be dispensed, without detriment to the interests of the establishment , for the wellworking of which I am responsible to yourself. Should you however be pleased to decide, that out of consideration to the occupant of the assistant office the appointment should not be cancelled, I would most particularly solicit, that you will kindly restrict the assistantship to the museum branch , and authorize me for reasons explained in a former communication to notify such decision to the occupant of the office, in order that the extent of his aspirations may be duely limited , and such not become injurious to the peace wellworking and interest of the general department. For other but museum-work the labors of the Assistant would be to me not of the slightest value, and only infere with existing excellent organisation.

Other reductions, which might be carried out , though such may be inimical to the interests of the garden, are the following — A reduction of the vote for publishing works, though then no longer any lithograms

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Marginal addition by M: 'These lithograms are likely to be quoted in works of science for hundreds of years to come, and will reflect eternally credit on the early Government of Victoria'.

can be prepared;

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Interleaved at this point are calculations, in table form, in an unknown hand: 'Publishing works, from £100 to £200; Stoppage of distribution of plants, [£]200-300; Reduction in rate of wages, [£]200-300'.

such reduction might be from £100 to £150. If the distribution of plants and cutflowers is discontinued and the abolishment of the regulations in force is rendered publicly known £200-£300 pr annum may be saved. If the rate of remuneration of the Gardeners and labourers is still further lessened though they work 10 hours and not rarely (unpaid) extra hours, though they are not paid under ordinary illnesses, and though only four holidays are kept. Under the 8 hours system the wages could be reduced by one fifth, but then one additional man in addition to every four now engaged must be employed, to have done the present and identical same work.

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though they work … same work is a marginal addition by M.

perhaps £200 or even £300 may be saved out of the general wages fund, after all not much when probably therewith the employees become dispirited and their zeal proportionately lessened. I beg also to crave the consideration of the Chief Secretary in bringing under his kind notice, that nearly all employed support families, and give their children some education. In separating for the sake of easy aspect the expenditure of the department under three heads, I am particularly anxious to point out, that the rupture of the Department into three distinct branches would be most injurious ! The interests are so interwoven, that a clear separation would be absolutely impossible or cause constantly the greatest possible confusion . It would be also altogether erroneous to suppose, that savings by such division would be effected though selfish or uninformed persons have endeavoured to impress that opinion on the Government, and tried to awaken a distrust in my administration. I may mention that scrupulously books & records are kept of all the work here and of all contributions and distributions.

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though selfish … distributions is a marginal addition by M.

I have heard it said with deep pain to myself, that while the scientific branch was administered in this establishment satisfactorily, the horticultural interest had suffered. Whenever such statements were made, they arose either out of a want of fair appreciation of the extent of duty and of means at command, or such statements were sent forth without the least acquaintance with the actual work of the horticultural branch. I can assure the hon. the Chief Secretary, that the horticultural division of my establishment received as vivid attention from me during the last nine years as the phytographic ones and that I luke with even some pride on its successes of the wants and shortcomings of the department no one can be better conscious than myself, but to overcome them all at once is an impossibility; consequently one permanent improvement follows the other in that succession, which I deem most judicious. Had an early watersupply been available and were this even extended now, the garden operations would be very much facilitated.

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of the wants … much facilitated is a marginal addition by M.

What I would pray, not for private interest, but in honor to myself and (what is more important) in the interest of the public would be, to be allowed to continue as before in the undivided supremacy under you in the establishment, and that the power of placing every one into that position here for which he is most eminently fitted, may be left to me. I shall not misuse the privilege and carry it out as before in fairness to all parties. No engagement of new talents is needed in any branch.

Respecting the latter part of your minute, whether I intended to avail myself of the leave of absence, which you were pleased to grant and when, I beg leave to state, that for 1866 the time has passed to take my departure for Europe, which should have taken place by the January mail. The complications, mostly unforeseen, which arose at the time were such, that I was reluctantly obliged to abandon the idea for going home this year, but if such facilities exist, that I can leave the department, on which I bestowed so much of my private means, fourteen of my best years and so much care, with an easy and cheerful mind, and you will let me enjoy later also your generous intended concessions, I intend to avail myself of the opportunity of visiting the scientific institutions of Europe some subsequent year.

The honorable the Chief Secretary

&c&c&c

I omitted to mention, that the real expenditure for the garden is £300 less, than indicated in the appended schedules, in as much as the water supply is involving only a nominal vote.

Recapitulation of Expenditure

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Tables written out by E. Heyne and edited by M.

Schedules of proposed Expenditure during 1866

in the botanic Gardens

Departmental Contingencies