The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: Melbourne botanic Garden, ¶ 22/6/70. ¶ Sir ¶ ¶ In reference to the proposed alterations of the rules, under which hitherto the supply of plants, cuttings and seeds was obtained from the botanic Garde...

Document information

Physical location:

V70/6920, unit 468, VPRS 3991/P inward registered correspondence, VA 475 Chief Secretary's Department, Public Record Office, Victoria. 70.06.22

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to James McCulloch, 1870-06-22. 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/1870-9/1870/70-06-22-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026

Melbourne botanic Garden,

22/6/70.

Sir

In reference to the proposed alterations of the rules, under which hitherto the supply of plants, cuttings and seeds was obtained from the botanic Garden,

See W. Odgers to M, 15 June 1870. The existing regulations governing the distribution of plants, dated 29 September 1862, and published in Victoria Government gazette , 7 October 1862, p. 1917, were as follows:

Government departments may be supplied with any plants, cuttings, or seeds (fruit trees excepted), as far as such can be made conveniently available without undue abstraction of labor from the general establishment.

For the gardens or reserves or public institutions, plants, cuttings, and seeds shall be supplied as far as they are conveniently available, but exclusive of avenue trees or fruit trees.

Donors, or gentlemen who have rendered services to the Botanic Garden, may, on their special request, be supplied in a proportion not exceeding the approximate value of their contribution, or in a ratio approximate to the service rendered, with plants, cuttings, seeds, or cut flowers, but cannot obtain plants of the ordinary kinds of florists' flowers, or pines, avenue and fruit trees, from the garden.

Cut flowers may be supplied for benevolent or artistic purposes, or for public festivals.

Plants needed in a fresh state may, when available, be supplied for medicinal purposes.

Plants or seeds of any species promising to be of extensive utility to the colony, may, when available, be distributed in small quantities to private gardens, without restrictions.

Interchanges with public and private gardens beyond the colony may be carried on unlimited by the above rules.

I have the honor in accordance with your request to submit such changes, as the altered circumstances of the times seem to advise, and as in my opinion are worthy of your consideration.

1. That in clause 2 the word "charitable" may be substituted for public.

2. That to clause four may be added "to a moderate extent.

3. That to clause 6 the words may be added: "provided such plants are not readily available in the trade"

4. That in rule 7 the words "and with local nurserymen" may be inserted.

I have the honor to be,

Sir,

your obedient servant

Ferd. von Mueller

Director botanic Garden.

The honorable the Chief Secretary.

An enclosed copy of the existing regulations, with M’s suggested alterations inserted by him, has been annotated in an unknown hand to the following effect:

In clause 2 the word 'public' is restored.

In clause 3 the words 'or gentlemen who have rendered services' and 'or in a ratio aproximate to the service rendered' have been deleted.

Clause 7 is scored out and replaced by, 'Plants seeds or cuttings may be interchanged with Public or Private Gardens in the colony or elsewhere'.

McCulloch approved the regulations amended in these ways and they were gazetted on 5 August 1870 (no. 52, p. 1137). See also W. Odgers to M, 12 August 1870.