[A few weeks ago Cr. Highmore drew attention in the council to the advisability of planting some aquatic plants in the lake as a shelter for the young fry and fish.1 Baron Von Mueller was written to for his advice,2 and to-day the town clerk received a reply, stating that amongst plants most quickly establishing themselves in shallow water or along the banks of the lake is the common watercress. In this the young fish could readily find shelter. But care should be taken in this mild climate that those aquatic plants do not grow over the bottom and choke up the place.3 Perhaps, therefore, the baron suggested, it would be better to get native aquatic weeds by lifting them by their roots and planting them on the margin of the lake. This should be done about Easter time. The seed then would be ripe, and such plants would soon create an aquatic vegetation, the different varieties of which might even afford food for the fish.]
At the meeting of the Council held on 2 February 1892, 'Cr. Highmore moved—That the town clerk write to Baron Von Mueller or some other authority with a view to ascertaining the best aquatic plants which could be used for planting round the edges of the lake with a view to affording shelter to the young fish and preventing them being devoured by the larger ones. He said that as they were receiving about £20 a year for fishing licenses, some steps should be taken to provide fish for those who held the licenses. Unless this were done they could not expect to receive the revenue for fishing licenses that they were at present. The motion was carried' ('Eaglehawk', Bendigo advertiser, 3 February 1892, p. [3].
Letter not found.
The Bendigo advertiser, 17 February 1892, p. [4], in a report of the meeting of the Council held on 16 February 1892, has a different emphasis: 'unless planted in deep water, it would be likely to block up watercourses'. It also reports that M advised getting 'floating or submerged native weeds' to plant in the lake margin.
Letter not found. The text given here is from 'Eaglehawk', Bendigo independent, 13 February 1892, p. [2], a report dated 'Feb. 12'. M's letter is dated 11 February 1892 as the latest that it could have been written and received on 12 February.
Please cite as “FVM-92-02-11a,” 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