Ferdinand von Mueller

1

In the Bendigo advertiser , 10 December 1868, p. 2, in reporting a special meeting of the Council of Victoria’s Board of Agriculture held the previous day, it is stated: ‘A report was read from Dr Mueller, giving the results of experiments made at the Botanical Gardens with Lyons’ Patent Phosphoric Potash Manures. On the motion of Mr Dalgleish the report was received, and the thanks of the Council accorded to Dr Mueller. On the motion of Mr Mitchell it was decided to send Mr Lyons a copy of the report made by Dr Mueller, with an intimation that the Council could not take upon themselves to forward any recommendation with it.’

For the text given here, which includes direct quotations of some passages from M’s report and paraphrases of others, see B69.01.03, where the text is introduced as follows: ‘The present intelligent manager of our Botanical-gardens tested [the manures] in 1865, and states in a document laid before the Board of Agriculture only this present month:—‘.

The first two passages quoted were reproduced as part of an advertisement (B69.04.02) placed by Robertson, Wagner, & Company, who, ‘Having purchased the Patents, Leases, and Works of the firm of J. C. Lyons & Co., have every confidence in recommending their Concentrated Patent Chemical Manures’. They appeared within the advertisement under the heading ‘Opinions of the press, &c.’, and were attributed to ‘Dr. Von Mueller’s Report to the Board of Agriculture, 1868’.

The full report could not be found. M had previously reported on a small sample of fertilizer, also from Ballarat; see M to the Council of the Board of Agriculture, 12 June 1866, and notes thereto.

I found the phosphoric potash manure promoting a healthy and vigorous growth of many garden plants both in the conservatory and open ground, a result which might be anticipated from a manure which contains in considerable quantity those chemical inorganic constituents which are known to rank foremost in vegetable nutrition.

The increase of barley and oats obtained from its application was particularly marked when contrasted with the yield of ground unmanured; the quantity of manure dug in was at the rate of three cwt. per acre.

[The writer goes on to say,] that all such investigations are dependent upon the season, time, and manner of sowing, nature of soil, [&c., but similar conditions are applicable to all agricultural operations, and to whatever manure may be used. The land in question was a sandy spot, and naturally barren. The samples experimented with at the gardens were more particularly examined as to their contents of lime and phosphoric acid. One sample contained about 24 per cent. of lime, and approximately 4 per cent. of phosphoric acid; a second showed about 10 per cent. of lime, and 7 per cent. of phosphoric acid. The whole of the soluble contents in one case were 51 per cent., in the other 35 per cent. The organic and volatile matter were in the respective samples, 17 per cent. and 14 per cent; and the moisture 13 per cent. and 12 per cent. The exact quantity of potash was not ascertained, but the two important constituents referred to appear to be liberally supplied, and manure containing in addition a proportionate quantity of organic vegetable matter ought to hold a high position among our agriculturists, especially those who are cultivating lands destitute of lime, which is the case with many Victorian holders.]