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85.12.28

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Ferdinand von Mueller to Jonas Levien, 1885-12-28. 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/1880-9/1885/85-12-28-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026

1
Letter not found. The text given here is from the evidence to Victoria's Royal Commission on Vegetable products; see First progress report ..., pp. 43-5 (B86.08.08).
Melbourne, 28th December, 1885.
Sir,
I have the honour of transmitting herewith a copy of the new enlarged Victorian edition of the volume on "Select Extra-tropic Plants for Industrial Culture and Naturalization,"
2
B85.12.03.
as a contribution towards the information sought by the Royal Commission over which you preside.
3
For M's appearances before the Commission, see Frost & S. Harvey (1997).
In this edition, 2,279 kinds of plants are recorded primarily, besides 1,347 mentioned secundarily
4
Typesetter’s error for secondarily?
, adapted respectively for various of the extra-tropic zones, whether for gardens, fields, pastures, or forests.
In order that from such a vast assemblage of plants those desirable or promising for any particular cultural purposes might be found out with comparative ease, indices are provided —
1.
For classifying plants according to the nature of their products.
2.
For tracing their geographic distribution, with a view of facilitating acquisition from abroad, and of judging also to some extent of their various climatic requirements.
3.
For identifying plants scientifically named by any vernacular appellations.
4.
For distinguishing between those plants yielding a return in the first season already, those affording returns through several years, and those furnishing a return only after a lengthened period.
As this edition is issued by departmental subsidy, at the Government Printing Office, copies can be obtained at a trifling expense by any of the colonists. The plants yielding great staple products are marked in this volume with an asterisk.
In affording, thus far, information on the kinds of plants eligible for any special product, and for any particular clime or soil, it is, however, still to be considered, that the real difficulty of initiating new cultures does not merely consist in gaining specific knowledge concerning the value of a multitude of rural plants, but also —
1.
In affording facility to obtain the needful supply for starting a new plantation of a promising species.
2.
In providing easy means for turning in all cases the harvested raw material to commercial account.
3.
In giving a clear insight, by practical demonstration, into the mode of cultural or technologic treatment, which any particular new plant may require.
On these points, I beg to offer a few brief observations in this preliminary report, leaving the important questions of irrigation, chemical analyses of soils, rotation of crops, and due application of manures, for the present out of consideration.
On various former occasions, indeed already many years ago, I have suggested the establishment of test-gardens in the most distinct climatic regions of the colony, so that the rural capabilities of each may to the fullest extent become ascertained, thus: —
1.
In the frostless tracts with the largest rainfall, such as the low lands of eastern or southern Gippsland, where many sub-tropic plants would prosper.
2.
In the driest regions with least and precarious rainfall and great summer heat, such as the north-western districts, where many really valuable plants of arid zones could well be reared.
3.
In the upland region, with snowy winters, such as our sub-alpine tracts, where the best of rural plants of cold zones would find their proper home.
Three such gardens, one in each of the regions indicated, for tests, for supplies, and for local information, could be established at an annual expenditure not necessarily large — indeed, under proper management, at a modest yearly outlay; as for each of these, at all events at the commencement, only one practical working gardener would be needed, who could have the help of one or more apprentices. Such horticultural test-stations might also render many kinds of trees, particularly also bamboos and palms, available for scenic embellishments along railway lines, around the Gippsland lakes, and at other favourite places of tourists; and from these stations might also be naturalized with particular ease many kinds of esculent fruits in our ranges; it being anticipated that rabbits will become subdued by the introduction of the least harmful of their natural enemies.
For the enlargement of the scope of rural culture generally through our colonial territory, it would probably suffice to amplify the existing organization of the Government farm at Dookie, until, in course of time, local schools of agriculture would arise in the various districts. The advisability of attaching to the principal Government farm a specialist, who could devote his whole time to entomologic and mycologic inquiries into the ever-increasing disease of plants, must be apparent, vegetable pathology requiring the unremitting attention of a professional Government officer now in every country, for commanding a view over the vast current special literature, for carrying on local observations, and for contriving protective measures.
But, in addition to the arrangements for tests, for supply and for information, above indicated as desirable, it would be necessary, that farmers themselves should locally enter into unions for working up, on a large scale, any particular raw products of their fields; or should by sufficiently extensive operations, in concert with each other, guarantee a regular and adequate supply to the establishment of any manufacturer settling in their midst. In this manner, the requisite skilled labour of artisans and the needful costly machinery would become available to a sufficiently large and remunerative extent in adequate places for such operations, as, for instance, pressing various kinds of oils, including that of the olive; for manufacturing sugar and treacle from beet or from sorghum; for preparing different fibres from the most eligible plants, grown even on land not perhaps otherwise readily utilized, among which fibre-plants the New Zealand flax lily, the Agaves, and Yuccas would take a place; for properly treating tobacco-leaves, reared on favorable spots, to realize a superior marketable article; for drying by the most approved recent methods, orchard-fruits, as apples, prunes, figs, currants and raisins, irrespective of many delicious sorts as yet totally unknown here, which could either be consumed or converted into particular preserves and jams; for the culture of many medicinal plants, including cinchonas, in places peculiarly adapted for each; for introducing many additional kinds of vegetables, which would be brought as new fares on our tables; for preparing, by the simplified Indian processes, from the fresh young leaves of the tea-bush, quickly the marketable article; for choosing sumach, scotino and other select tan-plants, to be brought under special culture in adapted localities; for growing the many sorts of scent plants, fit to be distilled or to be subjected to enfleurage, among these the Attar roses and also
Eucalyptus citriodora

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Eucalyptus Staigeriana

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; for raising particular herbs methodically on special honey-farms; for rearing osiers and bamboos, to keep local basket-makers regularly supplied; for cultivating the hardy arrowroots and other starch plants; for rearing, if even only for hedge-rows, the white mulberry and the best opuntias, so as to be available for the bye-work of silk production and cochineal gathering on farms. On this occasion, I need not speak of the copious raising of the cork-trees, the walnut and hickory-trees, the Valona oak, the best turpentine and resin pines, the hardier gutta-percha and caoutchouc trees, date palms and many other sorts of trees, affording returns only after many years, therefore too late for the wants of pioneer-settlers; much less need I here allude to forestral requirements, which in an adequate and comprehensive manner, can only be dealt with by special State measures.
Vast additions should, moreover, be made by ruralists to the kinds of nutritious grasses and herbs on our pastures, irrespective of the methodic re-sowing of the best native grasses, fodder shrubs and salt bushes, many fit for storage by ensilage. In furtherance of the present inquiry, I would also beg to mention that, in 1871, I took a share in preparing a series of questions, then circulated by a Commission appointed to inquire into the best means of extending rural cultures and the industries connected therewith.
5
Royal Commission on Foreign Industries and Forests, 1871.
Since then, the access to the number of colonists conversant in culture and pastoral pursuits has become so great, that many more now than formerly can bring to bear practical experience, gained under different circumstances in various parts of the world. Thus the system of eliciting answers in detail to inquiries would likely be still more telling now than then. In connexion with the Commission's work of that time, several essays on leading cultural plants were issued, the collecting of which anew into one or more volumes, to avoid ephemeral dispersion, may be worthy of consideration.
6
See Bleasdale (1871a), including an appendix by M, B71.13.06. These essays were also published in the press, for example in the Leader (Melbourne) 11 November 1871, p. 7 (olives). Other essays by Bleasdale appear not to have been collected but published only in the press: Bleasdale (1871b), on dried fruits; Bleasdale (1871), containing notes on preserving grapes without drying, on prunes and on cork trees. The articles were also printed in full or summarized in other newspapers, including in other colonies, for example in 'The settler's guide. II. The preservation of fruit', Australian town and country journal (Sydney), 6 January 1872, p. 14. For reprints of M's appendix on olives, see entry under B71.11.03.
I would venture, in conclusion, to reiterate a former remark that, particularly in a zone of our mild clime, no ground whatever should be left entirely unutilized, as even heaths, swamps, and coast-sands can be made to contribute to cultural wealth; and we all know well that on rural resources must largely, it not mainly, depend the permanency of real prosperity of any country in the whole world.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your most obedient servant
Ferd. von Mueller .
The Hon. J. F. Levien, M.L.A.
President of the Royal Commission for New Vegetable Industries.