Melbourne bot. & zoolog. Gard.
1 May 1861.
Sir
In submitting my report on the labours in this establishment during the month of April 1861, I beg to state, that considerable progress has been made in arranging the herbaria in the museum, but that on account of the great pressure of garden work at this season my literary labours have little progressed during the month, nor have any lithographies been issued, the artist having met with a severe accident.1
The seed harvest being completed, we have provided the collections of seeds, destined for the principal botanical Gardens. We commenced also to supply plants from the nurseries for the public reserves of the colony, and I make it a point, to distribute on the occasion as far as possible over the country the plants of most immediate utility, such as various trees which aford nurishment to the different species of Silkworms, the Sloe, the Liquorice, the Blackberry, the New Zealand Flax, the Stone pine, the Tea-plant &c.
Some interesting novelties have recently been raised, amongst them the Senna-plant. A large quantity of Deodora seeds was on my suggestion provided for the Gardens by the Rev. Jam. Smith, late missionary at Ava,2 and it is to be hoped, that we may succeed in the usually frustraneous attempt to raise this noble tree in quantity for the reserves of this country. The same reverend Gentleman brought us seeds of several Himalayan pines, whilst amongst other donations I may mention collections of seeds from the botanical Garden of Algeria, of Marseilles and of Saharumpore. The ground below the nursery has been trenched and also a portion of the experimental ground, the latter for the reception of imported seeds.
A considerable number of labels has been written, the central potting shade has been renewed and flues at both propagating houses have undergone repairs. The misletoe, which of late commenced to become destructive to our trees, has been as far as possible destroyed.
In removing the old wooden fence, which formerly constituted the boundary line of the botanic Garden, a cheerful view has been opened over the parklike lawns.
A consignment of seeds of timbertrees and a case with tea plants and New Zealand flax has been transmitted to the Feegee3 Islands Mission stations.
Additions to the zoological collections are some lovely small Indian Birds and a pair of Indian Partridges received from the Rev. Jam. Smith and one Aden Sheep. A collection of dried plants gathered in Kangaroo Island has been, after a set for our herbarium was secured, returned to the South Australian Government.
I have the honor to be
Sir
your most obedient servant
Ferd. Mueller
Gov. Botanist & Director of bot. & zool. Garden.
The Honorable the Chief Secretary
&c &c &c4
Probably refers to Frederick Schoenfeld, who was lithographing plates for M.
No record has been found that Rev. James Smith (1817-1898), Baptist Missionary Society missionary in India and donor of Deodora seeds to the Melbourne Botanic Garden, was ever based at a mission at Ava, Burma (now Myanmar). Prior to his visiting Australia in 1861-2, he had been based at Delhi for several years (Bradely (1881)).
Fiji.
MS file annotation by Heales, 11 May 1861: 'Read'.
MS written by Carl Wilhelmi and signed by M.
Please cite as “FVM-61-05-01,” in Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, edited by R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora†, J.H. Voigt† and Monika Wells accessed on