From Ferdinand von Mueller to Edmund FitzGibbon   19 May 1868

Melbourne, botanic Garden

19/5/68.

Sir

I have the honor to enquire, whether the City-Council would kindly allow me to plant an Elm opposite each set of rails of the S.E. approach of the City Bridge, on its outer side. The cows of the Immigrants Home will be removed immediately, and thus a fair prospect arises of getting the ground next to the bridge thereabouts beautified, while a line of Elms overshading the foot path at summer time will be an actual boon to the thousands of pedestrians daily passing the City-Bridge.

I have the honor to be,

Sir,

your very obedient servant

Ferd. von Mueller. M.D.

In cases of flood the Elms, when once well rooted, would be rather a protection to the railings of the approach of the bridge, than endanger it.1

Dr. v. M

G. Fitzgibbon Esq.

Town clerk of Melbourne

For the Council's response, see E. FitzGibbon to M, 13 June 1868 (in this edition as 68-06-13a).

Please cite as “FVM-68-05-19,” 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 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/68-05-19