4 
REPORT OF THE CURATOR OF THE 
Thoroughly appreciating this fact, I have continuously held in view 
the production throughout the Gardens of a classified system, which, 
instead of being dwarfed by localisation to one particular spot, should 
be broad, intelligible, and widely spread. In some public gardens the 
climate would prevent this being done to any material extent ; but such 
an objection cannot be urged in this colony. No necessity exists for 
allowing botanical correctness and landscape effect to clash in the 
development of the Melbourne Botanic Gardens. To combine the two, 
as I have pointed out in previous reports, has been my design from the 
beginning ; and that design has been carried out as the work of 
renovation went on. As stated in my last report, the first group — 
Amaryllide® — was completed, near the Band stand, last year. This 
year, a large number of orders have been grouped in suitable positions, 
as follow : — 
On the new Lawn (8 acres in extent, and made this year) the 
following have been placed : — Laurine®, Pittospore®, Saxifrage®, 
Solane®, Proto-ace®, Polygale®, Anonace®, Magnoliace®, Ranuncu- 
lace®, Ui'tice® (including Ulmace®, Morace®, Cannabinace®, and 
Platanace®), Ternstroemiace®, Ericace®, Epacride®, Rosace®, Cupu- 
lifer®, Thymele®, and Berberidace®. This lawn (which is of larger 
dimensions than any of the other three in the Botanic Gardens) will 
have a sward composed of mixed grasses, principally Stenotaphrum 
glabrum (buffalo grass) ; Cynodon dactylon (couch grass), and English 
lawn grasses. A judicious mixture of these produces a more elastic, 
permanently vivid, and beautiful turf than any single species of grass. 
On the lawn near the Reservoir, close to Anderson street, the orders 
Myoporine®, Acantliace®, Verbenaee®, Scrophularine®, and Bigno- 
niace® have been grouped. It was necessary for taking the new 
Conservatory levels to lower the crest of the hill in this spot ; and a 
triangular piece of lawn was then formed,, on which the above orders 
were grouped. Close to the reservoir is arranged the order of the 
Jasmine®, which includes the Fraxinus, &c. The fence enclosing the 
reservoir has proved useful as a trellis for training the climbing species 
— such as the Jasmines. 
A list of the species belonging to each order as grouped, will be found 
in Appendix A attached to this report. 
The plants representing these and other orders were mostly taken 
from thickets and other places where they were hidden from view, or 
scattered promiscuously over the grounds. It is necessary to add that 
the different species have not been placed in formal beds, but in irregular 
