To Tharp Girdlestone   20 May 1864

Melbourne, botanic Garden

20/5/64.

My dear Dr Girdlestone1

Mr Lane2 desired me to send the plants intended for the Ararat Cemetery to you. The 2 cases now forwarded contains 400. miscellaneous carefully selected plants, and should these not prove sufficient for the ground prepared for the reception of plants this season I can send more Cypresses & some other plants suitable for burial places. It would however be then well, that the precise number of plants needed should be stated & if possible obtained any morning at 9 within the next two weeks at my nurseries.

Our plants of N. Zealand flax did not produce seeds this year; but I have sent some plants in the collection now forwarded to you.

With kind regards

yours

Ferd. Mueller

 

Will you kindly urge that the plants are unpacked & planted as early as possible.3

1
Girdlestone was MLA for Ararat in the Victorian Parliament.
2
D. J. Lane, Town Clerk of Borough of Ararat, Vic.
3
On the reverse of this letter is a note from Girdlestone to Lane, dated 20 May 1864: 'I received this morning two large boxes for the Cemetery from Dr Mueller, what is to be done with them? They will soon be good for nothing if not planted. I forward his note — on other side.’

Please cite as “FVM-64-05-20c,” 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 26 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/64-05-20c