To James McCulloch   29 November 1865

Melbourne bot. Garden,

29./11./65.

Sir

I have the honor to submit to you copies of two letters received by last mail from Professor Dr Lindley, the great British Botanist, and his son,¹ in reference to their wish of disposing of the magnificent botanical collection of that illustrious author and of the important library accumulated by him since the last fourty years. The sum of the library is fixed at £500, less than one fourth of its original value or cost, while the collections of dried plants is to be sold for one thousand pounds Sterling, a sum infinitely smaller than the cash outlay spent on it irrespective of the fourthy years labor bestowed by this great man on these treasures. I would beg to point out, that on the consultation of full collections of dry plants mainly rest the elucidation of the vegetable kingdom, that the possession of a large collection of plants corresponding to the writings and works of phytological authors facilitates much the researches of those, who advance the science whether in a theoretical or practical point of view, and that the acquisition of Prof. Lindleys herbarium, if added to that already accumulated by myself will render the collections of the Melbourne botanical Museum second only to those of Kew and far superior to those of the great institutions of the Continent, unless those of Paris are excepted. It is scarcely needful to point out, how useless we find all researches into the economic, medicinal or technical properties of plants unless we can reduce the observations to an exact systematic nomenclature. Without indeed a safe framework of systematic botany, which always rests on collections such as Dr Lindley accumulated, we cannot convey any precise knowledge on the properties of plants and their uses.

The plants in Prof Lindleys collection embrace a vast quantity of such, as correspond to the works of authors, who lived long before me and whose plants came never within my reach during the twenty years of my active interchanging with other naturalists. The whole collection is admirably arranged and preserved, will therefore not involve any work of sorting and may by ordinary care be kept for the use of the department and students for many hundred years to come. The collection of a naturalist is his sacred property; he will not trust that on which the toil of his life has been spent into unsafe hands; hence the desire of Prof. Lindley to locate this huge lot of plants in an institution like that over which I have the control. Of the books many are already contained in the library of my establishment; but it might be easily arranged that the Libraries of Parliament, of the University and the public Library divided 3/5 of the books in an equitable manner and thus contributed £100 each towards the purchase of this fine collection of standard works, of which very many are entirely out of reach of ordinary purchase.

May I ask the favor then, that as an extra sum for next years expenditure the sum of twelve hundred pounds Sterling may be provided to acquire both Library & Herbarium. Should your decision be favorable or unfavorable, allow me to beg of you, that I may be instructed definitely in time for the departure of the December mail, in order that Prof. Lindley may learn, whether he has any hope of seeing his books & plants secured by the Government of this country or whether he should negotiate for the sale elsewhere.²

I have the honor to be,

Sir,

your most obedient and humble servant

Ferd. Mueller.

The honorable the Chief Secretary

&c &c &c