BOTANIC AND DOMAIN GARDENS. 
5 
hot weather by thoughtless persons smoking, the long grass being like 
tinder, and great probability existing* of fires being caused whereby 
valuable trees, the growth of years, might be scorched and destroyed in 
a few minutes. This is a matter which necessitates extreme vigilance. 
A walk was marked out leading from the house formerly occupied by 
General Chute ; the Domain nursery was extended and trenched, and 
will be further extended, as I require the space, for hardy trees, and 
shrubs to ornament Government House Gardens. 
The back road and approaches to the Government House, carriage 
stand, stables, &c., were lined out, and buffalo grass planted along the 
walk encircling the lawn in front of it. A large quantity of plants have 
from time to time been lent from the Gardens for exhibition at the 
various horticultural shows ; but 1 regret to say, the knocking about they 
receive in most cases takes a long time to repair, thus depriving the 
public of the display they have a right to expect. It would be a good 
plan if a space of ground were available in the Garden for shows of this 
kind to be held, as it would be the only remedy for the evil complained 
of. Having given above an outline of the work performed in the Botanic 
and Domain Gardens during the year, I subjoin some general remarks 
on the progress made. 
The incidents occurring, and the ideas suggested, during the working 
management of these grounds for the past year were of course very 
numerous. A thorough system of drainage having been carried out in 
the Botanic Garden, its beneficial effect on plants previously suffering 
from excessive moisture was markedly apparent. Trees, when planted 
in stiff clay soils — as I fear is the case with the subsoil of our Botanic 
Garden, and many parts of the Domain also — are liable to have their 
growth retarded, if they are not altogether killed ; from the fact that 
the soil not being porous, the moisture given cannot escape, and there- 
fore becomes stagnant. Hence my first step was to thoroughly drain 
the Garden, the superfluous water being conveyed by drainage into the 
Lagoon. This sheet of water has been cleared and kept free from 
weeds, and now presents an attractive appearance. The water-fowl on 
it are doing well ; five cygnets, recently hatched on one of the islands, 
are all thriving. The gold fish are largely preyed upon by the 
cormorants; the Mayor of Melbourne having kindly given permission 
for the use of firearms, numbers of these rapacious birds were shot, but 
this seemed only to encourage others to fill the places of the defunct. 
The scenery around the lagoon has been materially improved by plant- 
ing trees, especially those of pendulous, weeping habit, on its banks. 
