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W62/4221, unit 749, VPRS 1189/P inward registered correspondence, VA 475 Chief Secretary's Department, Public Record Office, Victoria. 62.07.01Preferred Citation:
Ferdinand von Mueller to John O'Shanassy, 1862-07-01. 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//letters/1860-9/1862/62-07-01-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026
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MS written by Ernst Heyne and signed by M.
1. July 1862.
Sir
I have the honor of submitting to you a succinct report on the labours in this establishment
during the past month.
The ground-work consisted in planting a Cypress hedge along the Western Iron fence
of the garden, in commencing the finishing work of the western lower walk, in completing
the Elm avenue between the garden and the city, in planting rows of Walnuts trees
between the office building and the Museum, in planting pines along the declivities
next to the Yarra River, in preparing the ground for a rosary at the palmhouse and
in the general gardenwork of the season.
For the trenching and planting of the observatory ground also arrangements have been
made.
The public institutions have during the month been largely supplied from our nurseries,
whereby the supply of most plants for this season has been exhausted. To continue
the supply next season arrangements have been made for restocking our nursery, as
far as the means at my command will admit of without an undue withdrawal of labour
from such work, as is required to keep our extensive ground in order and to effect
continuous improvements in our establishment.
A number of rarer plants have been transferred from the nurseries to our flower borders.
The interchanges with similar institutions and with private gardens continue uninterruptedly,
and we have thus received during the month consignments from Paris, Algiers, Ceylon,
Java, Calcutta, New Plymouth, Hobarton, Adelaide, Launceston, Sydney
At the propagating house an additional frame has been built for hardening off select
plants, obtained by the working of the apparatus of that building.
The scientific work during the month consisted in arranging specimens and preparing
notes for the general work on Australian plants to be published in London.
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Bentham (1863-78), vol. 1.
I have the honor to be,
Sir,
your most obedient and humble servant
Ferd Mueller
The honorable the Chief Secretary
&c&c&c