for the year 1870. xxi 



industrial museum, which will comprise objects illustrative 

 of our natural resources in the vegetable kingdom, and of 

 materials used in the industries obtained from plants in this 

 country as well as other parts of the globe. Such a collection 

 properly arranged and accessible to the public will 

 undoubtedly prove a valuable and instructive addition to the 

 industrial museum, more especially if at the same time 

 Dr. Mueller fulfils a project he has in contemplation of 

 publishing in a popular form a volume on the culture of 

 utilitarian plants in the colony not indigenous to it, as well 

 as of plants likely to add to the resources of countries lying 

 under similar latitudes to our own. 



The preservation and perpetuation of our more extensive 

 forests is already become a question of serious import. A 

 few years ago we thought our forests inexhaustible ; but 

 already the bad effects of the indiscriminate stripping of our 

 mountain ranges are becoming visible. The immense and 

 increasing draft on our forests for fuel and other purposes has 

 already denuded the land in the vicinity of towns and other 

 centres of population of its former covering of timber. This, 

 unless replaced by artificial planting, will eventually leave 

 our hills bare, and in all probability the climate will suffer 

 in proportion. Dr. Mueller, in introducing and rearing very 

 large numbers of forest trees that will be useful in them- 

 selves for the wood and bark, has exercised a wise 

 forethought, of which the colony will reap the fruit in 

 years to come, when the cork ^oaks, hickories, red cedars, 

 and firs shall have in part replaced our eucalypti, mimosa, 

 and other far less useful trees. 



I regret to have to state that the progress of our national 

 museum, which has been attaining to such perfection under 

 the directorship of Professor M'Coy, has been seriously 

 retarded by the withdrawal of the necessary assistants and 

 a diminution in the annual grant for contingent expenses. 



