5 
The hitherto only flock of Angora goats in this colony, introduced under great 
Sacrifices by E. F. Sichel, Esq., and comprising seven in number, have been secured by 
purchase for the Zoological Gardens. The probable importance of these fine-fleeced 
animals in the future rural and pastoral economy of Australia, will now become more 
generally patent. From the proposed union of the Botanical and Zoological Gardens 
manifold advantages are likely to arise, the dry ridges of the former being far better adapted 
for the healthy preservation of most animals, than the low basaltic flats on the opposite bank 
of the Yarra, originally granted for the formation of a Zoological Garden, but which will 
become highly valuable to us in rearing an arboretum of such trees as it is almost hopeless 
to cultivate on this side of our area. 
The Yarra foot-bridge lately completed has proved an important addition to the 
garden ; besides bringing East Melbourne, Richmond, and Collingwood in a more 
ready contact with South Yarra, it has largely increased the number of visitors to this 
place. 
The entrances to our extensive area being numerous, it lay not within our means 
to ascertain the exact number of our visitors during the year; but since within the last five 
months, 51,000 were counted as entering the gardens on Sunday afternoons at the principal 
gates, notwithstanding much unfavorable weather during that period, it may be assumed 
that the total number of visitors during the last year must have rather exceeded than have 
fallen short of 200,000. 
But not only as a place of healthful and instructive recreation, but also as a source 
of supply, the Botanic Garden has not been without pubjjp utility. 
During the year, thirty-nine public institutions in the colony and fifty-three abroad, 
as well as 206 private applicants (the latter in reciprocation or under a promise of sending 
equivalents), have been furnished with supplies from this department, the number of 
plants contributed by us to the gardens of the colony amounting to 7120, and the papers of 
seeds to the large amount of 22,438, besides which cuttings have been supplied to fifty- 
seven gardens ; whilst we furnished on fifty-seven occasions bows and flowers needed for 
decoration in celebrating public festivals or aiding benevolent purposes. 
Arrangements have been made to render next season a still larger supply of plants 
available for distribution ; and in the same degree as the completion of the garden will 
strengthen our labors in this particular branch of the service, and in proportion to our 
constant additions and improvements in the means of forcing and rearing plants, the utility 
of our establishment in this direction may be expected to increase. 
Twenty-two cases with living plants were forwarded to the neighboring colonies or 
to more distant countries, and nineteen have been received as donations or in exchange 
from the Botanical Gardens of Auckland, Kew, Adelaide, Brisbane, Buitenzorg, Hobarton, 
and from Messrs. I. Bailey, Adelaide; F. Bailey, Wellington; F. Ferguson, Camden; 
Captain Kreeft, Wellington ; Messrs. Shepherd, Sydney ; and D. Wilkinson, Wellington. 
Other importations were effected by purchase. 
Three shows of the Horticultural Society, and a bazaar in aid of the South Yarra 
Episcopal School fund, have been held on our ground ; and exhibitions so pleasing and 
useful as these are likely to be of more frequent occurrence after the contemplated erection 
of a larger pavilion for such purposes. 
How far we have succeeded in adding to the richness of this establishment may be 
observed by a comparison of the Garden Catalogue, which accompanies this report, with 
the Index of Plants under cultivation here at the beginning of 1857, since which period 
the number of plants has become more than doubled. The new Catalogue enumerates 
about 3300 species, but it might have been vastly augmented had we added the mere 
garden varieties, although often of greater value to the horticulturist than new and 
distinct species, or had we included in the enumeration those endless numbers of hybrid 
plants which supersede in gardens generally too much the simple forms of nature. 
No. 17, b. 
