To Asa Gray   24 January 1857

Melbourne 24. Jan. 1857.1

Sir

A few years ago I had the honor of adressing you through a medical gentleman of the united states,2 inquiring, whether you were inclined to enter into an exchange of plants, particularly dried specimens, and seeds with the establishment under my care. Presuming that the letter was lost or not delivered, I beg to repeat my offer anew, and may state, that I should be able to get at least 1000 Austr. dried plants ready for you within this year, if such as well as many kind of seeds were acceptable to you for an equal number of yours. Our herbarium is more devoid of North American plants, than of any others; and perhaps you are in the same position with regard to yours. — I think almost the safest way of sending would be via London, but this will entirely depend on your suggestions or arrangements.

Permit me to express in conclusion my best wishes for your welfare and my admiration for your multifarious excellent contributions for our favourite science.

Most obediently

Ferd Mueller.

 

Dr. Asa Gray,

&c &c &c

1
It would seem that, perhaps because of the unreliability of the mail between Australia and America, M did not dispatch this letter immediately but sent it via London, enclosing it with a letter he sent to W. Hooker (M to W. Hooker, February 1857) and asking Hooker to forward it to Boston.
2
M to A. Gray, 6 June 1854. Gray evidently received this letter since it survives among his papers at Harvard.

Please cite as “FVM-57-01-24,” in Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, edited by R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora†, J.H. Voigt† and Monika Wells accessed on 19 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/57-01-24