The Pittospora are such lovely hardy and quick-growing plants that thousands of these plants are wanted for our cemeteries, town churches, and schools, hence I accept the seed you so kindly offer with the utmost gratitude.1
As a commencement of a reciprocation, I beg to offer you two collections of seeds of2 shrubs and trees, which will at least be useful to you for interchanges, if you should not want them yourself.3
The native flax is now in abundance here, but we have not a single plant of the Aralia. Schalfflira,4 Dicksonia antarctica is a very common variety in Victoria, but we have no Cyathia dealbata5 here. If these plants are packed, the roots having been soaked in water for a night, they would arrive in safety, and might be sent here under the care of a friendly captain of any vessel, free of charge. I have a gully or ravine which I am anxious to dress with specimens of this plant. Some animals6 will, ere long be sent by myself under the care of the captain of the Albion; others will be sent through the Victorian Acclimatization Society.
F. Mueller.
Aralia Schalfflira
Cyathia dealbata
Dicksonia antarctica
Pittosporum
At the meeting of the Society held on 23 February 1866, a communication from M (letter not found) was read, expressing a wish to know what seeds would be acceptable in return for a collection of NZ seeds. The secretary was instructed to reply that the society would be most happy to send native seeds that they had, and would be glad to receive Australian magpies and toads in return (Press, Canterbury, NZ, 24 February 1866, p. 2),
Another published version of M's letter has 'and'; see Press, Canterbury, NZ, 28 April 1866, p. 2 (B66.04.09).
The Press version has 'yourselves'.
Aralia schefflera?
Typesetter's error for Cyathea dealbata?
The Press version has 'annuals'.
Letter not found. The text given here is from a report of the monthly meeting of the Canterbury (NZ) Acclimatization Society held on 27 April, Lyttelton times, 28 April 1866, p. 2 (B66.04.08). The Albion arrived in Lyttelton on 15 April having departed Melbourne on 5 April, presumably carrying the pair of black swans sent by M and noted at the meeting as received; it is likely that M's letter was written in late March or early April, and is dated to April as the latest that it could have been written. No addressee is indicated but Haast was M’s usual contact with the Society, and was Chaiman of the meeting.
Please cite as “FVM-66-04-00a,” 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