Melbourne bot. Garden
24/2/64.
My dear Professor.
The firm, which in my opinion would best supply the seed for field-crops to the Horticultural Society of Bengal, is that of Messrs Will. Law & Co, seedsmen, [1]182 Swanston Street, Melbourne, and I have mentioned to these Gentlemen, that probably an order for such seed would be given by you. Their new catalogue is in print, but living out of town I can at the moment when I write not ascertain, whether they have been able to despatch it to you by this mail.
The publication of a general Flora of India as far as the present material reaches will be a great boon, if as it may be expected from J. Hooker & J. Thomson it is done with critical accuracy. To me such a work will facilitate the further investigation of the tropical flora of this continent. I am indebted for your kindness of sending me your memoir on Acanthaceae out of the L.S. proceedings.3 Have you ever had leisure to examine the few Australian Acanthaceae I sent you some while ago?
Can you give me any information of your brother?4 Is he at home?
I do not know, whether you care about dry plants from Australia. If so I would be exceedingly glad to exchange them for any Indian plants. Pray tell me also, whether more Australian seeds are acceptable for any of your establishments & which of my publications you possess, so that I may complete them. Of the fragmenta I issued just the 26 number.5 Without wishing to be immodest I may venture to say that seeds of Indian Coniferae, of which you generously supplied some on various former occasions, continue welcome, as there is an endless demand for these noble trees for our reserves. I should also like very much to try the culture of Prangos pabularia as a fodder plant for sheep, if I could obtain seeds of it.
With kindest regards
yours
Ferd. Mueller
Acanthaceae
Coniferae
Prangos pabularia
Please cite as “FVM-64-02-24a,” 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 28 March 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/64-02-24a