Ferdinand von Mueller

Melbourne bot. Garden

23/5/71.

Sir

Being in doubt, whether I ought to offer any suggestions in reference to the questions of Mr Riddell for this evening,

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In the Legislative Assembly, 18 May 1871, James Riddell gave notice of a question: 'To ask the Chief secretary, on Tuesday, what steps are being taken towards the formation of the nursery ground (in connection with the State forests) on the southern slope of Mount Macedon, near the Macedon Railway-station' (Age (Mebourne), 19 May 1871, p. 3). The question was not put at the sitting of Tuesday, 23 May 1871.

I hastened to forward a semiofficial note to you by special messenger on Friday last,

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Letter not found.

which note was duely delivered to Office Keeper Cleary at the Treasury building, conveying in substance the following recommendation:

That the forest Inspector

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William Ferguson.

should be instructed to proceed forthwith to the various districts of our colony including that of Mt. Macedon to find some spot in each locality for forest nurseries, such spots to be as convenient as yet possible for traffic, to command water from natural springs, to be rich of soil and in a sheltered position, and that such spots after due approval might be early reserved before they are alienated from the crown. That in each district meanwhile a forest board may be appointed for the administration of the forests, as settlers in each localities

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locality?

can best judge of the various requirements of each district, and thus a powerful and gratuitous supervision of each forest district can be obtained, and the forests not merely be maintained and enriched, but made to yield a far greater revenue then

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than?

now. The cost of travelling of the forest Inspector would be 15/- a day, which sums, as in former cases, would be available out of the vote for travelling expenses of Officers of the Board of Land & Works. No further expenditure would be incurred, while afterwards one Gardener and two or three boys would do the whole forest work in each locality, to attend to planting and watch the due observance of licences, while to the forests boards, who ought to be constantly aided by the Inspector of forests, on any special professional questions information would be afforded by me.

W. H. Odgers Esqr

Under secretary

&c&c&c

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There are no annotations on the file to indicate whether any action was taken in response to M's suggestions.

Postscript.

The Parliamentary Papers are not supplied to my office. Perhaps it may be advisable, that the papers referring to questions should regularly be sent to me.