To William Hooker¹    20 August 1865

20/8/65

Again I have to thank you, ever dear Sir William, for your goodness of thinking of me and of writing to me at such length. Your kind letter of the 2. june² brought me the grateful intelligence of your recovery from the severe illness you suffered from.³ Let me implore you, to avoid exposing yourself to any cold or inclement weather, so that you may not suffer again next winter or any future period. It is very sad to hear of poor Prof. Lindley's continued illness.⁴ I received the Parliamentary papers of N.S. Wales, containing Dr Hookers letter, to Sir Charl. Nicholson, respecting the sale of the Library and Collection of plants.⁵ With the continued deficits in the income of our sister-colony it cannot be expected, that such a new contingent, as this would be, will be provided for. I have however taken action immediately after my hearing of the contemplated sale and communicated with Sir Redm. Barry, suggesting that the Library should be separately purchased for Victoria, if it could be secured without the collection and my proposition is, that the public library, the Parliament's Library, the Library of the University & the Library of my Department should conjointly purchase the books.⁶ For we have many of the works already; for instance Bot. Magazine⁷ was purchased by the public Library & by myself privately, and so Bot Regist.,⁸ but both these works are as yet not contained in either the University's or Parliament's Library. If we take united action, it will fall not heavy on any of these establishments of ours and we could divide the books equitably according to our requirements.⁹

The Government have secured recently my own library for the Department. It cost me £1500 - -, but I have given it for £600 - - Of my whole herbarium, commenced in Denmark at my 14 year of age I have however made an absolute donation. The trustees of the public Library & the Council of the University will meet this week to discuss the proposition.¹⁰ Dr Hooker refers to the Herbarium & thought it most advisable to offer it to N.S.Wales, because in Queensland and in Victoria existed collections, but not in N.S. Wales. I fear Mr Moore will feel hurt, because he has continued to form a collection and added to what his Department possessed, while at least a few years ago there were no plant collections (dried) at Brisbane whatever, nor do I think there any now and certainly Mr Moores Library is much larger than that at Brisbane. As for my own collection, compared to that of Queensland, if really one exists there, I must say, that I have brought it up to about 350,000 specimens, and consider it unique in the southern hemisphere. — I say this not with any desire to do injustice to Mr Hill, with whom I continue friendly relations but because I am aware, that Mr Hills labours are lying in a direction, which renders it beyond his power to devote time to bot. studies. Whether anything can be done to secure Prof Lindleys bot specimina also, I cannot say. I fear not. The sum is too large, and every successive Ministry is eager to avoid incurring new items of expenditure. Nevertheless Sir Charl. Nicholson or Dr Hooker might adress Sir Charl Darling on the subject & give an explicit account of the extent of the collection, i.e. the approximate number of specimens, the fasciles of orders &c. I write on this subject at length, being persuaded, that poor Lindley is enjoying your full sympathy, & that you will gladly in your generous disposition aid him, wherever it can be done, especially as so many of your thought[s] must be consociated with his labours during 50 years and more.¹¹

It was very kind of you to send the Sheeraz Tobacco-seed. It has been notified in the Gov. Gazette, that you were the donor & the Governor desired me to distribute it.¹² I had the plant in cultivation from seeds received from Haage & Schmidt of Erfurt; but as these Gentlemen may not have had it direct from Persia, the species may have degenerated, for really it looks poorly in my garden. But then to grow this tobacco, it requires the dewy elevated localities similar to the Persian Highlands. We will try it here in such.

— I feel grateful for your exertions concerning the Dactylis caespitosa,¹³ though we shall this time not get it or raise it. But in the Falklands Islands this grass seems to grow also on hills & hence I believe we can well grow it in our alpine regions.¹⁴ At least it would be worth[y] of a trial. I have sent you a few grains of the new Alexandra-Palm, Ptychosperma Alexandrae, one of the noblest of all species of this princely [order]of plants. I will endeavour to introduce the species into all the principle gardens of the world.

I am delighted to hear of Dr Meller's proceeding to Madagascar. I believe I mentioned in my last letter, that the thought has occured to me, how many of the most important vegetations, yet to be explored, could perhaps soon be rendered known if united action was taken by the Great Garden musea of the Globe, such as Kew, Paris, Berlin, Vienne, Geneve, Boston, Leyden, Melbourne.¹⁵

Each institution might easily enough spend £50 - - pro anno for supporting a scientific collector well and the [proceeds] could be divided and each botanist select some favourite order for elaboration.

Let me remain,

venerable & dear Sir William,

your gratefully attached,

Ferd. Mueller

Baron v[o]n der Decken's country & that of D[u] Chaillu would afford certainly magnificent plants for such a collection as I point out.¹⁶ Then New Guinea with its snow-capped mountains ought to be searched

I am informed by Mr Hill, that the Grammitis on which you so kindly bestowed my name,¹⁷ is common at Cleveland Bay.

Mr Woolls informs me, that Mr C. Moore had named the Alsophila Leichhardtiana = A. affinis and distributed it as such. Of this I was not aware, as seemingly the name is nowhere published not even in the Garden Catalogues. I am told also that you named an Alsophila = A. M'Arthurii Could this be the tree fern indicated by me as A. Hillii?¹⁸

Alsophila affinis

Alsophila Hillii

Alsophila Leichhardtiana

Alsophila M’Arthurii

Dactylis caespitosa

Grammitis

Ptychosperma Alexandrae