11/12/61
My dear Sir
I have much pleasure in sending the meat bisquits & the seeds of useful plants intended for the expedition and of which Dr Murray will take charge.1
Regardfully
yours
Ferd. Mueller.
List of seeds forwarded to Mr Howitt.2
Sorghum sacharatum. excellent quickly growing grass affording abundance of food to horses & cattle.
Sorghum nigrum similar to the above but the stalks do not contain so much sacharine matter. The seeds of both kinds are very nutritious. To be sown if possible on a rich soil.
Rumex vesicarius an annual quickly growing antiscorbutic source3 plant, the leaves of which serve as spinach. Does very well on sandy soil.
Bromus unioloides quickly growing grass, suitable for any kind of soil
Maize to be sown on tolerably fertile ground; leaves & stalks furnish good horsefeed, whilst the cob's in a green state are excellent eating
Pumpkin,
Gourd
Piemelon
Rockmelon's 2 sorts
to be sown on rich land which should not be too dry
Tomato seeds &c will be sent by Mr Rule. White Clover seeds are already supplied. Dates Dr Murray I think has purchased. A large supply of seeds seems to be still at the Darling unused.
Ferd Mueller
11/12/61.
Bromus unioloides
Rumex vesicarius
Sorghum nigrum
Sorghum sacharatum
The 1861-2 expedition led by Howitt, to collect the bodies of Robert O'Hara Burke and William J. Wills from Coopers Creek, left Melbourne on 9 December 1861 without a surgeon; James Murray left on 12 December to join the expedition in that role (Herald (Melbourne), 24 December 1861, p. 2).
The list is on a separate page in an unknown hand; the final paragraph has been added by M.
antiscorbutic source insertion by M.
MS black-edged, M's sister Bertha Doughty died on 7 September 1861. Annotated: ‘Ferdd. Mueller Botanic Garden 11th Decr 1861 | Collection of Seeds’.
Please cite as “FVM-61-12-11,” 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