8 



at the rate of four shillings per day, and in consequence a petition Tiom 

 them for an increase had recently been received by the Council and for- 

 warded to the proper quarter for the consideration of the Governor-in- 

 Council. To afford a fair increase of pay, and procure a small increase of 

 labour, in view of the probable collapse of that supplied by Government, an 

 annual grant of £700 was the very lowest at which the Gardens could be 

 worked. Formerly the gardens had far more than the present grant when 

 they were only one-half the size they now are, and when only a tithe of the 

 present number of plants were in ciiltivation. A grant of £700 per annum 

 would only give one man to every four acres, whereas a man to an acre 

 was the proper proportion in Botanical Gardens. The Gardens in Mel- 

 bourne, certainly twice the size of ours, were worked at a cost of six 

 thousand five hundred jwunds annually, whilst ours had only a grant 

 of £400 annually, with the small extra supj^ly of inefficient labour already 

 mentioned. 



General conversation took place as to the destruction of the Fern Trees 

 on Mount Wellington, referred to in the Presidential Address. It was 

 admitted that the destruction of these beautiful ornaments of the moun- 

 tain gorges was carried on in the most wanton and barbarous manner. 

 To afford a display for a single evening, instead of only taking the 

 fronds, entire trunks, the growth of many years, were ruthlessly cut down, 

 and thus by degrees whole valleys had been robbed of their Ijeauty, and 

 turned into unsightly wastes. A great public injuiy was in fact being done, 

 as the mountain was fast losing one of its greatest attractions. At the same 

 time so mtich of the ground has passed into private hands, it was difficult, 

 if not impossible for any legislation to check the evil, though it was perhaps 

 possible to abate it to some extent by having public taste and feeling aroused 

 in opposition to it. It was finally resolved that a communication should 

 be addressed to the Corporation pointing out the mischief which was being 

 done, and suggesting that measures might be taken for preventing further 

 destruction in localities over which the City Council exercised any right. 



His Excellency remarked that the Minister of Lands and Works was 

 most anxious for the preservation of all the natural beauties of the moun- 

 tain, and, he was certain, would be glad to do everything in his power to 

 assist in the matter. 



Mr. Abbott informed the meeting that the Cork Oaks, mentioned in 

 the address, had arrived safely at the Gardens. A consideralile manlier of 

 Himalayan Rhododendrons, from the Royal Gardens, Kew, had also been 

 received at the sattie time in excellent order. 



Mr. Justice Dobson read an interesting paper on the " Codlin Moth" — 

 Carpocapm pom onella. 



The usual vote of thanks having been accorded to the donors of presenta- 

 tions, and authors of contributions, Sir J. M. Wilson proposed a special 

 vote to the President, for his interesting and very suggestive inaugural 

 address. 



Mr. M. Allport seconded the vote, and referred particularly to that 

 portion of His Excellency's address which related to the value of accurate 

 observations on the habits of our various indigenous animals, now rapidly 

 becoming extinct. Mr. Allport remarked that an additional reason for such 

 observations was to be found in the fact that our fauna in a great mea- 

 sure consisted of forms which have passed away in Europe, and, therefore, 

 the minute history of such fauna would, when compared with geological 

 discoveries, throw great light on the condition of European countries 

 during the tertiary period. 



The vote having been carried by acclamation, was duly acknowledged by 

 His Excellency, when the proceedings terminated. 



