57 
effectual natural agents in the rapid devolpment of vegetation, more 
especially with regard to the mulberry, which is indigenous to warm 
climates. Iu seasons of drought it will be necessary to irrigate the 
ground along the trenches, and a few days afterwards to rake it over 
to admit the penetration of the heat, which had been nearly destroyed 
by the previous irrigation, because the evaporation of the water is 
creating cold. These directions may perhaps appear minute to 
persons unacquainted with the great importance of the matter, but I 
consider they arc essential to the successful rearing of the young 
plants, and if they grow well and prosperous the first year they will 
be fit to be grafted in the second, and the graft will usually spring 
up a young tree in the course of the next season. I would not 
trespass on your patience by extending this paper to any greater 
length ; I shall therefore reserve my remarks on the formation of 
hedges, the education of the trees, and the rules necessary for 
pruning, &e., for the next paper that I shall have the honour to 
bring before you on this subject. 
THE FISHERIES OF VICTORIA. 
Read by G. S. Lang, Esq., at a Meeting held September 15, 1864. 
The object of my present paper is to show how, and how far, our 
fisheries may be elevated into one of the great industries of the 
colon}. I shall commence simply by a few remarks on the present 
fish supply of Melbourne. 1 
BAY-FISHING. 
of^rcoti n tT ati ° n al . r ^ dycoUected as t0 a very limited portion 
ot the coasts and seas within easy reach of Melbourne it is estab- 
™ -r i> mt , l 10 ? u PP l y °f fish is practically unlimited. In Port 
1 f 1 about'n()T C | k a “ ° f rT r 7( ,'° f luarc Inill -‘ s > with coast line 
of about,1301 miles, well supplied with fish; and in Western Port 
Bay about 300 square miles, one immense fishing-ground, and still 
more plentifully supplied with better fish, and with a coast Une of 
120 miles, including French and Philip Islands. Both hays are 
landlocked, and in every way favourable for fishing. The follow¬ 
ing arc the descriptions of fish found in these bays : — Schnapper 
from 21b. to 201b., and even 301b.; rock-cod, flathead, garfish, whiting’ 
silver-fish, mullet, gurnet, ling, perch, mackarel, butter-fish, 101b. to 
201b.; salmon-trout, white salmon, bream, plaice, flounders and kingj 
fish, also crayfish, shrimps, and oysters. It is very difficult to form 
even a near approximation to the number of boats and men engaged 
in fishing. There are 316 licences issued for tents and huts for 
fishing, and allowing only one boat for each licence, and two and 
