Melbourne bot Garden
8/4/71
I feel much gratified, dear Mr Bindon, for the handsome letter, which I received from Mr Clarke on your behalf, and beg to express my best acknowledgement of the confidence placed by the trustees of the Industrial Museum in me.
I believe, when the sums, spent by the trustees for the phytologic section are carefully counted up exclusively for the work of that section, it will not prove very large, and will be not out of proportion to the property contained in that section.
In reference to your wish, to learn how much fund would be needed, to carry on any work of my laboratory for the exclusive benefit of the Industrial Museum, I beg to remark, that thirty pounds for a quarter of a year would suffice under ordinary circumstances. But if at any time large lots of showglasses &c are required, for such occasionally from £5 to £10 - would be extra needed.
As regards the list of trees, eligible for industrial culture in Victoria, I thank the trustees for their willingness to print it in a separate form, but as the Council of the Acclimation Society is anxious to give publicity to this list, I am glad to relieve the trustees of the expenses to publish this list, and would ask to let me have the document back at an early date.1
It will be worthy of the consideration of the trustees, whether casts should be gradually prepared of our best fruits. If this should meet with your approval and that of your Colleagues, I would gladly made a commencement, to have this done, and engage the special services of an artist, and as a trial five pounds might perhaps be spent in first instance for this purpose.2
With regardful salutation
Ferd. von Mueller
Please cite as “FVM-71-04-08a,” 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