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REPORT OF THE VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT BOTANIST. 195 
In the horticultural division of the establishment, the shelter accom- 
modation for tender or young plants has been extended so much, that 
now the-whole space under cover, either by glass or calico or brush 
shades, exceeds half an acre. Many rare plants, often new to Austra- 
lian cultivation, flowered or bore fruit for the first time. To show how 
the riches of the establishment are thus yearly increasing and may ex- 
tensively be diffused, I may instance that the first Flame-tree, in pro- 
ducing fruit last year, gave the means of raising nearly one thousand 
seedlings. The Grevillea avenues commenced flowering this season, 
and it may be imagined what a brilliant effect the long lines of this 
tree will produce in years to come. 
The conservatories have been rendered lately still more gay by new 
access to the silvery and banded Assam Begonias, the variedly spotted 
Caladiums of Central America, and various Gesneriaceous and many 
other gorgeous plants; while arrangements are made to add to the 
collection Dionæa, the Sarracenias of North America, Biophytum, and 
other plants, remarkable for spontaneous movement or extraordin 
structure. The Great Central American Water-lily bearing the name 
of her Majesty is now flowering through the third year; but the nar- 
row, inexpensive house, allotted as well to this noble plant and other 
tropical aquatics as to the equinoctial Orchidee, stands much in need 
of extension. To the plants in the general garden ground additions 
have steadily been made, so much so, that now a fair rearrangement 
can be effected in many places, to represent on separate plots the cha- 
racteristic vegetation of the great divisions of the globe in a very in- 
structive manner. During the extraordinary dryness of this summer 
miles of edgings became quite parched, and will require renewal in the 
autumn, for which purpose the less perishable Mesembryanthemum will 
be chosen. Porcelain labels, with unobliterable letters, have been 
ordered as a commencement of naming the plants in a more lasting 
and sightly manner. His Royal Highness Prince Alfred, during his 
stay last year, condescended to plant on one of the lawns, in remem- 
brance of his visit, the Patagonian Sazono-Gothea conspicua and the 
Californian Pinus Alberti, - which commemorate the name of his 
illustrious and lamented paren 
great boon has been saspe on the Garden by the Government, 
in sanctioning the establishment of steam-works for forcing Yarra water 
to the highest rise, 110 feet, whence some irrigation is now effected 
