SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT. 
Melbourne Botanic Garden, 
8th March, 1869. 
Sir, 
In accordance with youf instructions, I have the honor of submitting a brief Report on the work 
carried on in the Botanic Garden, and the scientific establishments connected therewith, during the last 
six months. This document may be considered as supplementary to the last general Report, and will 
also briefly explain wdiat additional work seems recommendable during the year 1869. 
In the horticultural division of the establishment, the shelter accommodation for tender or young 
plants has been extended so much, that now the whole space under cover, either by glass or calico or 
brush shades, exceeds half an acre. Many rare plants, often new to Australian cultivation, flowered or 
bore fruit for the first time. To show how the riches of the establishment are thus yearly increasing and 
may extensively be difi’used, I may instance that the first Flame-tree, in producing fruit last year, gave 
the means of raising nearly one thousand seedlings. The Grevillea avenues commenced flowering this 
season, and it may be imagined, what a brilliant effect the long lines of this tree will produce in years 
to come. 
The conservatories have been rendered lately still more gay by new access to the silvery and 
banded Assam Begonias, the variedly spotted Caladiums of Central America, and various gesneria- 
ceous and many other gorgeous plants ; while arrangements are made to add to the collection Dionsea, 
the Sarraccnias of North America, Biophytum, and other plants, remarkable for spontaneous movement 
or extraordinary structure. The Great Central American Water-lily bearing the name of Her Majesty 
is now flowering through the third year ; but the narrow, inexpensive house, allotted as well to this 
noble plant and other tropical aquatics as to the equinoctial Orchidse, stands much in need of exten- 
sion. To the plants in the general garden ground additions have steadily been made, so much so, that 
now a fair re-arrangement can be effected in many places, to represent on separate plots the characteristic 
vegetation of the great divisions of the globe in a very instructive manner. During the extraordinary 
dryness of this summer miles of edgings became quite parched, and will require renewal in the autumn, 
for which purpose the less perishable Mesembryanthemum will be chosen. Porcelain labels, with 
unobliterable letters, have been ordered as a commencement of naming the plants in a more lasting and 
sightly manner. His Royal Highness Prince Alfred, during his stay last year, condescended to plant on 
one of the lawns, in remembrance of his visit, the Patagonian Saxono-Gothma conspicua and the 
Californian Pinus Alberti, trees which commemorate the name of his illustrious and lamented parent. 
A great boon has been confei’red on the Garden by the Government, in sanctioning the establish- 
ment of steam works for forcing Yarra water to the highest rise, 110 feet, from whence some irrigation 
is now effected over the greater part of the Garden area and the adjoining reserves. If even during 
ordinary summers the duty of providing for the safety of the extensive plantations proved a source of 
very great anxiety, and of extreme toil, both day and night, then this duty became still more onerous 
during the horrors of an almost rainless summer, when, during successive hot winds, the up-growing 
tree- vegetation, as well as the tender garden plants, had to be protected over nearly 400 acres of ground 
against the imminent danger of destruction, and this with an inadequate -water supply. Happily this 
diflSculty, in a great measure, has now been overcome; and inasmuch as it may be of importance to 
owners of estates on the sides of rivers to obtain data of the yield and working expenses of the engine ' 
No. 21, a. 
