Botanic Museum
Melbourne,
28/6/75
Sir
In response to a question of the Honorable H. J. Wrixon in the Legislative Assembly
on the 24th inst., concerning the "best means of arresting by planting or otherwise
the encroachment of sand along the western coast",
I have the honor to inform you that, when from the 3rd till the 6th of April last
I travelled for the first time through a part of the Warrnambool and Port Fairy district
(with a primary object of becoming acquainted with the vegetation of this part of
our colony for a special school-book on native Victorian plants), I observed that
along the whole coast line between the above mentioned towns the sandridges had become
utterly denuded of their native vegetation, that consequently the sand, thus set free,
rolled unchecked onward inland by the force of prevailing antarctic winds, and that
already the southern outskirts of the fine pastoral and agricultural country of those
districts and even some of the town-lands had severely suffered by the unhindered
and steady progress of these sand waves. Enquiring into the causes of the total destruction
of the original sand-vegetation, I was informed by the settlers, that actually a public
road had been sanctioned many years ago over these sand-rises and that, moreover,
the very sandhills, which should have been scrupulously guarded against traffic of
any kind, formed part of a pastoral commonage. The inevitable consequence has been
a total annihilation of all the trees, bushes, sedges, creeping herbs and grasses
which once bound the sand together, the original trees in all likelihood being recklessly
removed for fuel.
As really these extraordinary arrangements for the use and occupation of the coastridges
threatens to lead to an extensive and permanent devastation of the rich lands situated
nearest inland, and as moreover the original road is now not even visible along the
shifting sand, and as the supposed common affords no longer the slightest vestige
of forage,
I would respectfully recommend
1, that a new pastoral common should be proclaimed, if land is still available near
inland for this purpose, should such common really be requisite, and that at all events
the right of commonage on the present area should be permanently withdrawn, in order
that the whole sandtract, now already widely dilated, may be restored to its natural
purpose of protection and shelter, and once more be brought within due bounds.
2, With a view of raising a new vegetation for binding these sand-downs I beg to suggest,
that any encroachment and traffic whatever on these sands should be strictly interdicted;
otherwise any remedial measures will be hopeless.
3, In order to give vigorous and lasting effects to this recommendation it would be
requisite that an experienced cultivator, fairly provided with the necessary means,
should be chosen to exercise surveillance against any further inroads or traversings
on the sand, that it should be his duty to prevent cattle, horses sheep, goats and
fowl from roaming over the sands, while simultaneously he could carry out the simple
instructions, under which those of the native and foreign sand-plants, which are best
adapted for consolidating sandy ridges, and to which I shall briefly refer hereafter,
can be raised. In all European countries the sand-shores are under the supervision
of special officers, to prevent by apt and well understood cultural processes and
by exclusion of traffic, the otherwise certain ingress of sand from the coast formations.
4, It is recommended to effect extensive sowings of seeds of plants thriving in drift
sand all over the denuded area, and this should be effected during the cool season;
besides creeping plants of such kinds as do not readily yield seeds or are not easily
raised from seeds should be set out bodily on the sand.
5, The officer thus in charge should have his abode permanently near to the sand ground,
which measure would enable him to raise the coast pines of South Europe, North Africa,
California and many other countries, as also numerous other sand plants, within a
nursery area, for final transplanting on the sand.
6, It may be requisite that some fencing be erected, if the pounding act cannot be
rigorously or advantageously enforced; though the impassability of the now obliterated
old road and the existence of a good and straight main road between Warrnambool and
Belfast does not seem to call for the expensive fencing process, especially as this
would in no direct way aid in staying the sand.
7, I would next proceed to offer some guidance in the choice of the various plants,
available for the indicated purpose, and I shall refer also briefly to some of the
methods, adopted in other parts of the globe, to bring or to maintain drifting coast
sand under control.
As regards our own native plants we are very favorably placed to choose from them
for subduing any rolling sand; indeed some have attained celebrity in these respects
abroad.
The tall "Sandstay" bush (
) yields seeds copiously, which under some slight cover of brush germinate readily
on the sand itself. It was found advantageous, to use over this plant for brushfences
along sand when in fruit, the seeds gradually dropping soon germinating under the
shelter thus afforded.
The dense growth of this shrub or small tree, its handsome appearance, together with
its comparative rapidity of growth render it one of the most important plants of our
choice. Among the grasses here obtainable the Doorba or native
Couch-grass (
) is one of the best among dwarf widely rooting kinds; the dispersion is best effected
from the rooting parts cut into pieces, each of which will take root. A tall Fescue
(
) can easily be transferred in a rooted state from others of our shores, it having
seemingly become extinct on the tract in question. Sods of our two kinds of
should be scattered over the ridges, and the Sword-rush (
) be planted out copiously. There are many other plants in our territory, which admirably
help to solidify the sands; whatever sandplant has deeply penetrating perennial and
particularly creeping roots may by transplantation or dissemination be called into
aid. The drooping Sheoak (
) is the best among indigenous trees to be raised on the edge of the drift-sands,
and as a shelter-tree against sea storms it is in latitudes like ours unsurpassed.
At the Cape of Good Hope our Golden Tanners
Wattle (
) and some allied Australian species have set an effectual barrier to the moving sands;
copious dissemination of these also here would be extremely desirable, especially
as seeds can cheaply be gathered.
(one of the bushes or trees improperly called Teatrees) is capable of forming, as
may be noticed beyond Queenscliff, dense tall thickets, to the exclusion of any other
shrubby plant on pure coast-sands. In Scandinavia, as I observed for years myself,
and elsewhere in West Europe, preference is given to two tall reedy grasses for fixing
the sanddrifts, namely the Lyme grass (
) and the Marram or tall Bentgrass (
) The seeds of these form an article of trade in Europe, and can thus be cheaply imported.
The strong roots of both creep widely along the sand and the extensive propagation
of these important plants is easily effected, when once they are established, from
divisions of the root. In places subject to the ingress of stock it is advantageous,
as I explained already to settlers in the Western coast-districts, to sow the Furze
or Whin or Gorze (
) and our own Kangaroo Thorn (
), as their prickly foliage protects them against the browsing animals; they moreover
run up with great ease from soaked seeds, scattered at the commencement of the cool
season over the sands. After my return I forwarded some of these latter kinds of seeds
to the localities named. Broom plants, Clovers of several kinds, Luzerne, various
grasses, among the latter the flat Buffalo grass (
), the creeping Fiorin grass (
) are very eligible, provided that stock can be kept from the enticing pasture thus
provided. If this can be effectually carried out, then the Californian method of subduing
loose sand is one of the very best: Two somewhat shrubby species of Lupins (
and L. albiflorus
) are selected there for the reclamation of the sands, their taproots penetrating
to an extraordinary depth, whereas their stems do not gain a height above 3 feet.
In order that the young Lupins may get hold of the sands and establish themselves,
they are sown along with Barley, because the quickly sprouting cereal will hold the
sand in two or three weeks and will prevent thus the more delicate young seedlings
of the Lupin plants from being suffocated. The latter in about a year or less will
cover the sands. Seeds of both kinds mentioned could be ordered from San Francisco.
As the full utilisation of our extensive sandy coasts for cultural purposes involves
also questions of some industrial importance, I would finally allude at least to the
desirability of converting the barren coasts, now unsheltered and bare over wide tracts,
into Pine plantations, as since the commencement of this century has been done on
many of the coastlines of France. The Haleppo Fir, whose real home is the loose coast
sand, grows on such even more rapidly than on firm land. The Mediterranean Cluster-Pine,
the Scotch Fir, the Californian Pinus insignis, the Virginian Frankincense Pine and
many other Pines, yielding deal-wood, turpentine and pitch, as well as a host of other
utilitarian trees such as our own Sandarac Cypress, not to speak of New Zealand Flax
and a large array of other kinds of plants, will fully succeed on coast sands, hitherto
with us so little utilized. For fuller data bearing on this subject I may refer to
the prints of my lectures, delivered at the technologic museum,
also to my explanatory lists of industrial plants contained in four of the volumes
of the Acclimatisation Society,
the reissue of which publication in a connected volume I have recommended on former
occasions.
I have the honor to be
Sir
Your obedient servant
Ferd. von Mueller
The Honorable Rob. Ramsay, M.L.A.
