To Joseph Hooker   17 June 1872

Melbourne

bot Garden

17/6/72

 

It would be of great importance to me, dear Dr Hooker, if I had a few lines from your authority, whether it is advisable to break up a botanic Garden, supported not merely by a city but the whole country into two, making it mainly a flower garden, particularly when already several other parks and gardens are supported at the metropolis by the Government. -

Also whether it is desirable to have an independent head gardener in it, particularly when the whole garden personal (except orphan boys) exist only of about a dozen people (Gardeners, carter, carpenter seedsman &c)

Also whether a Director can carry his work properly out, unless he has sole control

Also whether the scientific work is separable from the practical work, or whether they are closely connected, as the instance of the Todea shows.

I will not extend these questions (vital to me) so as not to burden unnecessary writing on you, though the slips of a lecture, sent by last months mail, will give you an idea of my views.1

Any notes of yours, if in such a form that I can present them to the Ministry would be prized.

your regardful

Ferd von Mueller

 

Best compliments to Prof. Oliver.2

 

Todea

1
B72.13.01.
2
MS Annotation by Hooker: ‘Ansd Aug 20/72’. The reply has not been found, but an outline of Hooker's position is given in J. Hooker to M, 15 January 1873. Hooker told Henry Barkly (9 September 1872) that: 'Poor Mueller is still in agonies, and I have written a strong letter, condemning the proposal of appointing an independent decorator [sic] of his Garden' (RBG Kew, Letters from Joseph Hooker, vol 1, Ada–Bar, ff. 196-8).

Please cite as “FVM-72-06-17,” 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 27 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/72-06-17