Melbourne bot Garden,
4/5/73.
Sir
I have the honor to inform you in reply to your communication of yesterday,1 that my correspondence is conducted with my colleagues in other countries or with any one else who adresses me in reference to plants here or abroad, whether with a view of introductions or interchanges or information or supply. If necessary I will extract out of the books the names of thousands of people with whom letters have been interchanged, though of course that would require the expenditure of much time.
As regards the Results of the Laboratory work, about which you seek information, I beg to refer you to the hundreds of articles sent to the Industrial Museum and to the publications issued at the successive industrial exhibitions. At present Laboratory researches are carried on concerning the constituents of Eucalyptus tar, which contains several Kinds of distinct oils and other substances, promising to be of great technologic value. These researches will still occupy a considerable extent of time, and samples of the new products will also be placed into the Museum of Industry at the Great public Library, unless you desire them to be placed elsewhere.
About the results of the labors of the travelling collector I had already the honor to give an answer in my last letter,2 so far as former years are concerned, but you will be aware that no means existed for maintaining a collector since two years.3
A list of the distributions of 1870 will be prepared and be transmitted to you when ready.4 I have the honor to be, Sir, your obedient servant
Ferd. von Mueller,
Director bot. Garden.
The hon the Minister of the Lands Department
Letter not found, but see notes to M to J. Casey, 29 April 1873, which indicates that the information supplied here was requested by letter on 3 May in response to a minute by Casey dated 1 May.
M to J. Casey, 29 April 1873, item numbered '2, Travelling Collector'.
That is, since John Dallachy, who had been employed in Queensland since 1863, died on 4 June 1871.
M to J. Casey, 15 May 1873.
Please cite as “FVM-73-05-04b,” 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