From Ferdinand von Mueller to John Harding   29 Jan 1866

Melbourne botan. Gard

29/1/66

Dear Sir

Allow me to return my best thanks for the seeds you were good enough to send me per Albion.¹ The[y] arrived in good order and I hope I shall be successful with them. Whatever kinds of seeds of your trees you may choose to send me will be wellcome; but your Pines Totaras & other conifers, your Palms & the various kinds of the Cabbage trees and the Pittosporums (of which you sent me a small quantity, the largest lot of all) would be particularly useful.

I regret not having heard before that you were in a position to supply us with some of your fine ferntrees. But even now it is not too late to avail myself of your kind offer. I shall accordingly most gladly receive a little lot of them, each stem 6 – 8 ft. high (or more if convenient) carefully lifted & packed in matting & moss and shipped at once to my adress.

I shall either pay you the same for them as I have to pay to others, or should you prefer it send you plants &c from this establishment in exchange.

Regarding the failures of your sowing of various shrubseeds, which as you state come up but die when they are about 2” high, I should think that this is caused by drought during the spring which as you state has prevailed in your district. By your covering the seedbeds with short litter and watering them occassionally whenever they may require it, you will probably succeed in raising plants.

But quite the reverse from the above may perhaps be the cause. Are your seedbeds properly drained or not? For nothing is more injurious to tender seedling plants than an overabundance of water in the ground which renders it sour & unfit for plants.

Thanking you again for your valuable consignment & expressing the hope that it may be followed by others (for which as a matter of course I shall gladly reciprocate) I remain

Dear Sir

Your obedient

Ferd. Mueller.

Mr John Harding