To Thomas Wilson   25 December 1893

25/12/93.

T. R. Wilson Esqr

Under Secretary.

Sir

I have the honor of transmitting herewith the memoranda, promised by me at my interview at your Office last week.¹

I have the honor to be,

Sir, your obed. servant

Ferd. von Mueller,

Gov. Botanist.

Antarctic whaling and sealing.

The Victorian branch of the Royal geographic Society of Australia has for the last ten years advocated Whaling and Sealing by Steam ships under some bonus-system, similar to that by which in our colony the cultivation of new sorts of crops is encouraged. Hitherto we have had in the southern hemisphere only sailing whalers, which cannot move through the intricate masses of ice forming an irregular belt between our shipping sea and the waters at the permanent ice towards the south-pole, the fartest² southern waters being the most promising for the chase. Last summer however 3 Scotish and one Norwegian Steam-Whaler went to the south of America, and were without going far into the antarctic regions very successful in seal hunting; and this season a Norwegian Steam-Whaler is testing the antarctic waters under Australian meridians. If successful, we may expect quite a fleet of such steamers out in future years making their final start and first return from and to Australian harbours. Part of the cargos would be sought by Victorian factories, and part would fall to the share of our naval commerce.

Cultivation on hitherto unutilized coast-lands

Many of our shores are not producing any revenue, and might furnish superior pasture grasses and fodder-herbs for naturalisation, so also the New Zealand Flax Agaves, Yuccas and other selfprotecting plants for fibres, the Sand-Wattle for tan-bark and many kinds of Pines and other trees for resin and turpentine in future years might be disseminated at comparatively small expense and for permanent good. What can be done in this direction has been shown by the planting of many miles of drift-sand already from Warnambool³ to Portland-Bay⁴ with the Marram-Grass,⁵ which even affords cattle-feed for some months in the year, and which ought to be established and naturalized on all our sand-coasts, to prevent the farm-lands behind to become sanded in. About the various plants, needed for the purpose indicated, my work on "Select plants for industrial culture"⁶ affords information also. Perhaps occasionally this might be considered, when questions concerning the Unemployed, come under discussion.

Yarra-Floods ⁷

As the discoverer of many miles of the Upper Yarra from its remotest eastern alpine sources on Mt Baw Baw in 1860 (at 5000 feet elevation) I may be permitted to point out, that the vast expenditure, which would be involved by daming⁸ up the upper flood-waters or by canalisation in the lowlands, could be avoided, dams moreover in high localities being always a source of danger through bursting, if at a comparatively inconsiderable expense a slight tapping-system was adopted. Yarra-floods of severity occur mainly under four simultaneous conditions, melting of snow at the sources in Spring, heavy rains, southern gales and spring-tides. To allow time for the lowland-waters, to flow off, before the upper waters reach the lower Yarra, I would suggest that the level of the successive upper reaches be dimined⁹ by boring above falls at the base of rocks, or by cutting through small ridges, the object being, to divert slowly and gradually much of the water into vallies adjacent for irrigation, so that still the great principle of "water-conservancy" be adhered to. As yet hardly any vested water rights have arisen on the upper Yarra, nor is the river navigable above Dights fall near Richmond, to require the water to be kept at the present level exactly. If the water is led off on many places for inexpensive new irrigation by simple gravitation, then much of the downpour from the upper regions of the Yarra-country will find space for storage not existing now, with the advantage also, that much less of the Yarra-waters would flow unutilized into the Bay and finally into the ocean.

Rural Settlements in the Victorian Alps to promote mining also.¹⁰

When nearly 40 years ago I discovered, ascended and named Mount Hotham and traversed our then pathless snowy regions in many directions, I became already impressed with the importance of our alpine [regions]¹¹ becoming fully developed. Permanent settlement is possible in our latitudes up to 4500 feet elevation, and during the summer-months pastural, cultural and mining operations are possible to the summits of our alps. We can have table-fruits and vegetables from one to two months later, if grown in our subalpine regions, and the railway, now already extended to Bright,¹² affords facilities of bringing such products to the markets of the lowlands, when otherwise out of season there. Hardy grain could also be raised at high elevations, so poultry be kept and depasturing by herds and flocks carried on in the high regions from Sept til March. This would give encouragement to mining prospectors for more persevering in their searches, as resuply of provisions could be effected from farms cheaply and locally, instead of packing up on horses, as now, all that is necessary for sustenance from the lowlands. Doubtless vast riches of gold and other metals are yet to be discovered in our highlands and their vallies over a vast extent still uninhabited, the Morning Star hill¹³ alone having in course of years yielded nearly a million pound Sterling worth in gold.

Highlanders from Scotland, Swiss and Scandinavian people among us would be particularly those, fit to be placed for rural purposes on our Alps, as they are accustomed to a cold clime. The produce of the farms would in many cases be more tasty than that of the lowlands. Surplus stock, when frosty weather sets in, could be brought to marked,¹⁴ or as in the colder European countries is much done, salted or smoked and be sold in casks to town-customers for family supply as food more cheap and superior than that under ordinary circumstances available. Natural irrigation can be obtained for most of the alpine vallies also here.¹⁵ Culture-plants are much less subject to diseases there than in the lowlands of ours.¹⁶

Phylloxera.

The Phylloxera vastatrix was shown to exist in Victoria 1877 at a time, when I was exploring in West-Australia, to connect my northern researches of that vast territory, instituted as an Officer of Gregory's expedition during 1855 and 1856,¹⁷ with my southern explorations in 1867. An albe¹⁸ Board then appointed under the auspices of the Government has stamped out the first Phylloxera invasion, and requires not my assistance personally, though I have visited the Geelong-Phylloxera-area more than once by myself. Foreseeing however, that the dreaded Phylloxera might at any time be reaching our colony anew, I distributed in several years fresh seeds of several kinds of American Vines, as secured by me purposely, such as are phylloxera-proof, as regards their roots, so that the European Vine, which is never attacked above ground by the Phylloxera, could be grafted on American roots, — the process being described briefly in the latest editions of my "select plants",¹⁹ — should such a measure at any future time be deemed necessary. I may add, that since some few years Victoria has a Gov. Entomologist, Mr Ch. French, whose able services could at any time be rendered available for information on the vital processes of the Phylloxera vastatrix, while I could be consulted if desired on any special points, which come in respect to the phylloxera-disease within my own professional reach.