10/9/68.
In reality, I have little to write about this time, dear Mr Bentham, especially as I have communicated with Dr Hooker already1 and as the proof sheets, indicated in your kind letter of the 12th July,2 did not arrive. This is the first time in all the years that your sending missed coming. Perhaps it may arrive by next mail. The Epacrideae came safely back. The issue of a new Garden catalogue3 and other additional duties in the department have hindered me very much during the last weeks to work on the Monochlamydeae. I shall however soon resume the work, & in as much as the planting season has passed again, I shall have a little more leisure during the latter months of this and the earlier of next year. The retrenchments initiated already and to be augmented, will tell on my department also & impede in some respects my work. I trust you will enjoy your rural excursions much. I trust they will as usual invigorate you.
It is a pity to split up the Monopetaleous order,4 so that they enter two volumes. They are such a natural series, and one will always be confused into what volume to look for them, should they not be kept all in one. You have however gone on miraculously well and quickly.
In the specimens sent continually from one place or the other by my numerous correspondents I find much that enlarges our knowledge of the range of the plants, but rarely actually new kinds turn up.
Always your
Ferd. von Mueller.
Epacrideae
Monochlamydeae
See two letters M to J. Hooker, 10 September 1869 (in this edition as 68-09-10 and 68-09-10c).
G. Bentham to M, 12 July 1868.
The catalogue was not published, but was apparently ready for printing soon after this letter was written: a request to print 100 copies was made, see notes to M to E. Symonds, 19 September 1868 (in this edition as 68-09-19a). See also M to J. Hooker, 10 September 1868. The MS is transcribed as 'Garden-Catalogue 1868' in the 'manuscripts' section of this website.
orders?
Please cite as “FVM-68-09-10b,” 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