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66.06.01a

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Ferdinand von Mueller to the Editor of the Herald, 1866-06-01 [66.06.01a]. 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/1860-9/1866/66-06-01a-final.odt>, accessed June 4, 2026

1
Letter not found. The text given here is from 'The botanical gardens', Herald (Melbourne), 5 June 1866, p. 2.
Sir, — In a very recent editorial article of your valued paper you have deviated from your usual course of justice.
2
Herald, 1 June 1866, p. 2, began
What definite purpose is a so-called Botanical Garden, intended or expected to subserve? Is it that of a mere public recreation ground? If so, the cost to the public, in our case at all events, is excessive. But even if the cost were not extravagant, a mere pleasure garden is scarcely an institution worthy of the special care and expenditure of the State.
The article argued that the Garden should be importing useful species, and gave as examples the Carob and Cork oak. It asserted that
The Government Botanical Garden, in fine, does not seem to be used for its proper and most important purpose — of facilitating the acclimatisation here of valuable productions of the soil, to which the British colonist, from his northern education, is necessarily a stranger, but for which the climate of Victoria is especially adapted.
In justice then to the Melbourne Botanical Garden, let me observe that I have in my departmental reports presented to Parliament,
3
Briefly mentioned in M to J. O'Shanassy, 15 April 1863 (B63.05.01).
and in an essay read before our Royal Society long ago,
4
B58.05.02, p. 101.
directed attention to the value of the Carob tree (
Ceratonia siliqua

Search for Ceratonia siliqua in

). In addition to your excellent remarks on the value of this plant, let me observe that, imported by the Spaniards at the conquest of America, they transplanted it to Peru and Chili, where it now forms in its fruit a staple food for cattle. During the few years of my directorship of the Botanical Garden, I distributed the plant annually, the approximate of the number of Carob plants given away for public grounds in various parts of Victoria approaching to about 1000. If care has been bestowed on the young (pot grown) plants, this useful tree must now be established in many parts of Victoria. After distributing again about 100 plants during May of this year, I have still about as many left for hedging purposes, for which the plant is most exquisitely adapted. Besides several large plants, many years old, to be seen in various parts of the ground, one row of the Carob-bush exists in the experimental ground, at the garden lake. It should he remembered that the ceratonia is of slow growth, like the equally useful Argan tree; and though both have flowered in our ground, as yet no fruit has been obtained. Our seed merchants, gentlemen of great intelligence, and to whom the country owes much, will have for years rendered the seed by importation in such quantity available for pastoral purposes as to turn the plant practically to account. On the copious introduction of the Cork oak, to which you refer, I have bestowed much care for a series of years past; and though the acorns lose their vitality, like the generality of imported seeds, readily in transmission, even if the short line of the P. and O. S. N. Company
5
Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company.
(to whom the garden owes most generous attention) is adopted in bringing the cork fruits from the Mediterranean countries, I succeeded in raising many thousand plants. Most of these again became distributed, besides a considerable number of cork plants distributed by the Acclimatisation Society. At this moment about 1000 young cork-oaks are in the nurseries of the Botanical Garden; several hundred are established in the adjoining domain, where there is actually an avenue of cork trees; and in the rich collection of foreign oaks possessed by the garden one tree is now 11ft, high, and likely soon to yield cork. Were I not afraid to occupy too much space of your journal, I would claim the favor of allowing by special reference that the Botanical Garden has been conscious of its duty to import largely and render known generally other plants of climatic zones analogous to ours I am, Sir, with friendly regards, yours,
FRED.
6
Typsetter's error for FERD?
MUELLER
Melbourne Botanical Gardens, 1st June
7
The editor added a parenthetical comment:
We are pleased to find that Dr. Mueller has given some attention to such plants as the Carob tree and the Cork oak; but, nevertheless, the complaint generally made that the Botanical Gardens do not fulfil any serviceable purpose, such as they might readily do, in connection with acclimatisation, so as to justify their cost to the public, remains unanswered. All that has been done of any value in this respect has been accomplished by private enterprise. —Ed. Herald
M's letter elicited a response from A common gardener', who lamented the absence of a 'decent bed of flowers' and concluded 'Verily, our Melbourne Botanical Gardens might be appropriately defined as a plantation devoted to the absence of flowers' (Herald, 6 June 1866, p. 3).