To Graham Berry¹    7 August 1877

Copy

Melbourne, 7/8/77.

Sir

In compliance with the request conveyed in your letter of 26th July,² I have the honor to submit the following remarks on Dr C. Brown's publication on the forest-schools in Europe,³ in reference to their applicability to our own colony.

His ideas arose from the circumstance, that the needful extension of the botanic garden of Edinburgh, by adding an arboretum, might serve to make simultaneously arrangements for training scientific foresters. This plan is simple and comparatively inexpensive, and could in time advantageously be adopted in Victoria. For the study of surveying, engineering, natural history including that of plants, chemistry, climatology, and cultural operations, so far as requisite for the scientific education of forest managers, various facilities exist already in Victoria, sufficient (in my opinion) for the requirements of initiating here a highly advanced system of forestry. For adopting here at once a management such as that of Germany, France, or Scandinavia, an expenditure would be needed entirely out of proportion to the area and population of our colony as compared to that of European countries; — thus in Bavaria about 2500 forest officials are employed, at which rate 7500 employees would be needed for the three times larger area of Victoria.

Foreseeing that the Government and Legislature of this colony would not likely for many years sanction an expenditure for forest management on an European scale, I suggested in my lecture on "Forest Culture", delivered at the Melbourne Technologic Museum on 22nd June 1871,⁴ and indeed in oral communications and occasional official notes for years before, that the two first cardinal measures for protecting, utilizing and enriching our forests should consist:

1, in the appointment of local forest-boards, under some general supervision by a central board;

2, in placing at the disposal of such local forest-boards the whole, or at least a portion of the revenue emanating from the forest land under the control of each.

By these means a circumspect and inexpensive system of forest management would be created, out of which in time, according to the general and special requirements of our colony, ample measures would arise.

On the first of these suggestions of mine — which claimed originality — was at once acted by ministerial dicision;⁵ but the second measure, without which the local forest-boards were to a great extent powerless, received if I am rightly informed, ministerial sanction only this year.

In my lecture, the print of which was widely circulated at the time and which deserves reproduction anew, it was further pointed out, that the arrangements adopted for the maintenance of forests in colder countries, where alone as yet scientific forestry is largely developed, were not fully applicable to a territory in a hotter clime like that of Victoria. Contrarily it was shown, that the far greater dangers of forest conflagration had to be coped with, that the trees of all extra-tropic countries and not merely those of the cold zone could be reared in our clime, and that the trees in our native forests and their products and educts were very different from those of the countries, in which forest culture has become scientifically controlled. All this required some special modifications of forest-laws for our colony, though some of the fundamental arrangements for forestry would everywhere remain the same.

I took then also already the opportunity to enumerate in published form⁶ the many hundreds of trees available as strictly utilitarian for our forests, in comparison to the much more limited number, which would endure the North- or Middle- European clime, where again indeed mainly attention is bestowed on the very few kinds of trees indigenous there. It is perhaps also but just to observe, that ever since I became Director of the Botanic Garden in 1857, great efforts were made to introduce foreign forest-trees and to distribute them widely over our country, in order to become thus in numerous places the nuclei of forest-culture. It was besides one of my principal aims to surround myself with the greatest number of different trees, which with my means and appliances I could maintain at the botanic garden for display and information to the public, and for the various daily observations of my own. In this direction is evidently also Dr. Brown's aim; and thus the question arises, whether the Government would entrust the formation of an arboretum to me, perhaps on the rises from Prince's bridge to the private ground of Government house, where all the existing trees were reared by me, and where moreover the buildings now used as alms houses could be converted without much sacrifice of time and expense into offices for the re-organisation of my department.⁷ It will be evident, that for each of the three principal collections of a scientific arboretum, namely for the geographic, the systematic and the technologic ones, a comparatively ample area would be needed, hence such trees as would live on the flat and partially gravelly sandy or saline ground of Albert Park and perhaps also Fawkner Park, might be planted there, by which means those extensive areas would be turned to the purpose, for which more than 30 years ago His Excellency Governor Latrobe and his advisers had destined them with other parks. This, as regards Albert Park, deserves all the more consideration, as it has continued to be the most abandoned of all the metropolitan reserves, though it is surrounded by the thrifty and populous towns of Emeraldhill,⁸ Sandridge,⁹ St. Kilda, Prahran and South Yarra. By the means, which I respectfully suggest, the way for forest-culture would also aidingly be paved, no enormous outlay would be incurred, and a measure be adopted, which would gain great and deserved popularity.

In fluctuating health and advancing age (after 30 years uninterrupted Australian service and nearly 10 years previous fieldwork) I might perhaps even feel strong enough to attend to the requirements of a strictly departmental model-forest, for which the reservation of a large timbered area on the new Gippsland railway¹⁰ would be recommendable, as best accessible and as likely affording some natural boundaries by streams from the higher backranges. The various local forest-boards might receive aid in this manner, and the public mind would be gradually led to perceive the advantage of a systematic and scientific supervision of our forest-resources.

In reference to the technologic products of our forests I beg to point out, that I considered it my duty as director of the botanic garden to prepare gradually from the trees and other forest-plants, whether indigenous or foreign, under my control, a series of tars, acids, oils, potash, dye-principles, tannin, varnishes, wood-alcohol and other substances, which operations however were totally interrupted and discontinued by the destruction of my laboratory and the removal of all my apparatus, laboratory instruments and appliances, together with nearly the whole of the modest votes for my former directorial purposes.

In the United States of North America the Government promotes forest-interests by the extensive distribution of tree seeds and by the abundant issue of of¹¹ printed volumes bearing on utilitarian cultures; this is effected from a central office at Washington, and as far as I am aware, forest-maintenance is left there in a great measure to the foresight and resources of private land proprietors; so also in Europe many extensive forests are private property. Nevertheless I am impressed with the necessity, that in a largely unsettled community like that of a comparatively young colony, an extensive area of forest-land should remain unalienated from the Crown, not merely because we have here not yet discovered any workable coal-field or accessible turf-pits for fuel, but also because our native forests are devoid of trees fit for flooring boards, masts, spars, light furniture and many other kinds of timber, which in generations to come are not likely any more obtainable from the more or less decreasing forest areas of Europe and America, on which parts of the globe we now entirely rely for the enormous daily need of such kinds of timber.

I may also be permitted to point out, that forests ought to be created in our colony, where over wide areas, such as the north-western, only scrub exists. Scientific arboreta with concomitant other important plants, all of which can be arranged with scenic taste, if formed at or near the city, would lead visitors to comprehend the importance of well organized forest-measures, and would become the means of extensive instruction without large outlay being involved.

Moreover I have always held the view, that each country should provide finally within its own geographic limits every kind of timber, of which the local growth can be effected, so far as the climate allows.

I would further recommend, that a more copious and vigorous introduction of trees be adopted than I could effect with the slender means at my command while at the botanic garden, although I did distribute a few hundred thousand, many of these now bearing seeds available for forest culture. The kinds of trees not at all introduced yet into our colony are very numerous still, as will be perceived by reference to my "Select Plants",¹² in which work also the conditions necessary for the growth of each species are briefly indicated. Supplemental notes for a new edition are written.

The long contemplated and now forthcoming descriptive Eucalyptus Atlas¹³ approved of by you, Sir, will tend also to develop our forest resources. (Proof plates appended herewith). Many of such trees could be reared on now unsaleable or on permanently reserved crownlands, such as sandy heaths, sea shores, railway lines, in the snowy mountains, rocky ranges etc., with the prospect of a very remunerative revenue in the course of time, and much enhanced value of the planted ground.

Whatever plans may finally be adopted by the Government for any special forest-schools of ours, the measures respectfully indicated by me cannot fail to pave preliminarily the way for rational future forest instruction, just as what I had commenced at the botanic garden was in accordance with what Monsieur de Vilmorin carried out on his estate at Barres,¹⁴ for rendering known and testing trees in the interest of forest-science.

It may however be worthy of consideration, whether a professional forester, specially trained at one of the great forest schools of Europe, should be attached to one or more of the local forest-boards, to become their principal functionary.

In conclusion it is hardly necessary to assure you, that I shall cheerfully explain my views on Australian forestry at greater length if desired, and that I would gladly promote by my departmental advice and professional knowledge, so far as it could be justly expected from me in my position as Government Botanist, any measures, which you and your honorable colleagues may wish to bestow on so important a national subject as that now under consideration.¹⁵

I have the honor to be

Sir

Your most obedient servant

(signed) Ferd. von Mueller.