To Joseph Hooker   25 February 1873

The Hampshire brings the Mononcotyledoneae with inferior fruits except Orchideae1

Melbourne bot Garden

25/2/73

 

This mail brings you, dear Dr Hooker, a parcel with 87 species of seeds of our hardier plants for Mr Wallaces intended trial cultures.2 There are others species equally hardy or more so, but I have no seeds as for some months past the seedsman (like the messenger and the only Museum amanuensis,) are working as labourers in the bot. Garden to help keep the plants alive in the hot season, after the number of ten gardeners became reduced to three! A triumph achieved by some of Edw. Wilsons employees!!

It would be advisable not to risk the sowing all on one spot. It might be done likewise in the Skilly Isl3 and in the Channel Islands.

I hear just now, that Mr Edw Wilson is likely to loose again the sight of the eye on which for cataract was operated; so he will have to undergo operation on the other eye, with perhaps some misgivings. It is very sad for such an active and intelligent man. At all events he is blessed with monetary fortune to keep him in comfort under such afflictions.

I have read your able defense against Owen so also Benthams. How extraordinar that he should not even know when R Brown's prodromus was published!4

A very great oversight has occurred. In sending off about a month ago by the Hampshire the two cases, one for Bentham, and one for Kew, I omitted to send an order for delivery by the Ship. Every mortal thing after eve[n] so many years instruction I must always on each occasion arrange anew myself, and thus the mail of the Ship was closed before intimation of this sending could be given by letter. Moreover I have no bill of loading; thus the enclosed note5 will be the first intimation to you for obtaining the sending. The Hampshire has likely arrived already when this letter comes to you.

Regardfully Ferd von Mueller.

 

Mononcotyledoneae

Orchideae

 
1
The Hampshire … except Orchideae is written to the left of the address.
2
See M to A. R. Wallace, 28 February 1873.
3
Isles of Scilly, Cornwall?
4
See Nature, vol. 6, pp. 516-17 (24 October 1872), under the heading ‘Dr. Hooker's reply to Prof. Owen’, in which Hooker commented on Owen's statement addressed to Ayrton (see MacLeod [1974]). See also a letter in response from Owen headed ‘The National Herbarium’ (vol. 7, pp. 5- 7, (7 November 1872)) and Bentham's letter headed ‘Our National Herbarium’ (vol. 7, p. 26, (14 November 1872)), in which Bentham pointed out that it was unreasonable for Owen to claim Brown (1810) as an example of 'scientific work at the London Herbarium', as it was published 'many years before the so-called "London Herbarium" was in existence'.
5
Note not found.

Please cite as “FVM-73-02-25a,” 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 28 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/73-02-25a