REPORT OR THE BOTANIC GARDEN. 
Melbourne Botanic Garden, 
25tli August, 1857. 
Sin, 
In compliance with your request, I liave the honor of transmitting 
a general report on the present state of the Botanic Garden, and on the 
progress of the labors in this establishment during the current year, and I 
also beg leave to add on this occasion an outline of our proposed future 
operations. 
Of the total area of the Gardens, which contain, exclusive of the 
lagoon, about forty-three acres, approximately fourteen acres are at present 
under cultivation. 
"With a view of rendering the Botanic Garden mainly attractive to 
the public as a place of recreation, the Curator has been endeavoring to 
increase, by ornamental, plantations, the natural beauty of the spot, and 
the taste displayed in his arrangements has not failed to secure chc 
approbation of numerous visitors. 
During the year 1856 scarcely any additional ground could be 
devoted to cultivation, owing principally to the limited funds available at 
the time for wages, and the necessary retrenchments of 1855 reduced the 
number of laborers for many months even to five and six. 
The liberal votes of the Legislature enabled the Curator to extend 
his operations in this season considerably over new ground, and under the 
approval of the Honorable the Chief Commissioner of Public Works 
additional garden walks have been fixed, the main lines with a breadth ot 
sixteen feet, the remainder chiefly twelve feet broad. 
The extent of walks finished in former years amounts to 159 chains. 
Other lines, to the extent of forty chains, remained without a gravel 
layer. New walks have been formed to the extent of ninety-two chains, 
and will be finished, at least partially, during the present year. To level 
the walks, to bring the slopes of the culture-ground to an equal declivity, 
and to remove the gravel superincumbent to the sandy argillaceous 
subsoil, was to be accomplished on all undulating ground only by a great 
amount of labor. 
According to the catalogue issued at the beginning of this year, and 
to an unpublished supplement comprising our latest introductions, the actual 
number of plants established in this Garden, up to the present day, amounts 
to about 1600 species. To these are to be added a number of varieties 
and hybrid plants, which, although not deserving a place in the catalogue, 
No. 81, b. 
i 
