Melbourne bot. Garden
30/11/67.
I shall be ready at any time to furnish the tree guards, dear Mr Fitzgibbon, if the City Council will vote a sum, however small, for the ornamentation of the municipal lands next to iron Garden-Bridge.1 If, say ten pounds, are placed at my disposal I will relieve you of all trouble concerning this matter, but I would like to commence operations at once Through the constant invasion of cattle on the Yarra bank now for a second time many of the young Willows are destroyed, which would otherwise have fringed the whole River up to Richmond. Pray prevail on the Gentlemen of the City council to have the pasture license cancelled, that at last plantations may be carried out on the Yarra flats.
The Cottage at the terminus of Jollimont Road is such an ugly object in the metropolitan landscape, especially when viewed from my rises, that you must kindly allow me to draw your attention to it. It appears to me, that the Inmates might at least spend a few pounds of oil paint to take away the really miserable appearance of a patched up verandah, a very unsightly fence &c, especially as the cottage is located in so prominent position. You would, if you saw it from any point of the opposite bank, fully share my view. Pray let measures for planting in 1868 on the municipal ground be completed early, so that the City Council may have an early supply of such plants as I can spare. 2
your very regardful
Ferd. Mueller.
There is no necessity for fear that grass and herbage on the dry basalt will ever grow so high as to cause any conflagration.
Please cite as “FVM-67-11-30,” 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