To James Casey¹    16 September 1872

Botanic Garden

Melbourne, 16 September 1872

Sir

In reply to your letter D1404² I have the honor to inform you, that on the plan, shewing the intended divisions of the Domains, as now first seen by me, also the areas containing my laboratory, the carter's and one gardener's dwelling, the garden stables and forage shed are separated from the ground intended to be left under my control.³

Moreover the unrestricted communication of the Garden with the Domain Road would thus be cut off.

In reference to the aid obtained from the labor of the orphan boys I have the honor to submit, that the necessity of surveillance over them, and the desirability of instructing these boys in the various garden operations absorb so much of the time of the gardeners, as to render this orphan labor not altogether a clear gain, unless indeed the boys are to be kept in large gangs with but little opportunity for teaching them.⁴

From the list of the employees of the Botanic Garden submitted to the Lands Office on the 16th July last and resubmitted on the 4th of this month,⁵ I now beg to lay before you the names of those who are required for the current duties of my office, museum, laboratory and literary branch, together with the names of the carter, the artisan and the engine-driver. Thus only two gardeners can be provided for within the £100. for the monthly payments, indicated as available in your communication.⁶ It further devolves on me again to point out, that only one man was regularly employed in Govt. House Reserve since the great reductions of the departmental fund in 1870, and that thus in July of this year the expenditure for the Botanic Garden (exclusive of Govt. House Reserve) has

been —	£200.18.6
for August —	204.19.9
while the liabilities for September will likely be	178.7.6
for three months	£584.5/97

This is nearly at the rate of my own original calculations, on which the first estimate for this financial year was based. As no part of this outlay can be charged, under the Audit Act, to the now separated vote of the Govt. House Domain it is apparent, that under the altered estimate there will only be available £68.8/3d for wages during each of the ensuing nine months, to be disbursed by me, and then even no proper provision is made for a travelling collector.⁸

[...]⁹ of Employees proposed to be retained in the Botan. Garden

	Rate per diem	Amount per annum
J. G. Lühmann, Clerk & Accountant	9/	140	17	—
L. Rummel, Operator in Laboratory	7/	109	11	—
A. Neate, Town Agent, Storekeeper and junior Assistant for clerical work	7/6	117	7	6
C. Schlipalius, in charge of Seeds department &c	8/	125	4	—
C. Richards, Mechanical Assistant in Bot. Museum	4/6	70	8	6
S. Cottrell, Artisan for carpenter's and glaziers work, also signwriter and in charge of birds & other animals	7/6	117	7	6
J. Sullivan, (the only) Carter	8/	125	4	—
D. Coller, Gardener in charge of Forcing Pits and Nursery for select plants	8/	125	4
G. Schneider, Gardener in charge of Victoria house and Nursery for industrial plants, also adjoining ground	8/	125	4	—
E. Soues, Enginedriver (half time)	8/	62	12	—
	£	1118	19	6
Expenses for overtime for Enginedriver, for Sunday Watchman, for small repairs and other minor expenses chargeable to the Wages vote		81	—	6
	£	1200	—

Thus to be transferred to the Govt. House Domain

*J. Watters,	hitherto in charge of	Classground, Greenhouse and adjoining grounds
*W. Lumsden,	" "	large Conservatory Pinetum and Orchestra ground
*Th. Morrison	" "	Western ground of the Botan. Garden
*R. Morrison	" "	Eastern " "
*Th. Bourke	" "	Middle " "
*H. Hendrick	" "	Southern " "
*C. French	" "	Laboratory & Museum Reserves
*H. Moran	" "	Nursery for chief supplies to public institutions.
*F. Pitcher	youth for general garden work.
E. Soues	half time.
W. Smith	(a travelling collector was to have been engaged instead of this man)
Th. Gulliver,	hitherto in charge of Govt. House Domain.

From the above statement it will be clear, that the laborious and skilful culture of the many thousand plants under glass, and the still larger number of valuable and rare plants, requiring careful attention in the open ground, cannot possibly be carried on by two gardeners. It therefore devolved on me, as done in my letter of the 4th inst., to apply for an additional vote, and I now have the honor to request, that the nine ordinary garden employees, to whose name an asterisk is attached, may be allowed to remain as heretofore in the ordinary functions, for which they are so long trained, and that later in the financial year a supplemental vote for the additional wages thus necessary, as well as an additional sum for tools, coal, stores &c may be provided.

I await your further instructions, should my professional views, as set forth, not meet with your approbation.

I have the honor to be

Sir

Your obedient servant

Ferd. von Mueller, M.D.

Director botanic Garden.

The honorable J. J. Casey &c &c

The Honorable the Minister of Lands¹⁰