To James Francis1    23 October 1873

It is proposed to issue here as in many European countries collections of indigenous plants for public instruction and in connection with the works under publication, as the best means to diffuse information on the native vegetation. With this view it is intended to issue every half year a fascicle of fifty species, each species bearing its label, and every 50 species having their title page and index-sheet. It is hoped, that the first fascicle will appear in December next and the second in June next. The first edition would consist of 100 copies, and successive editions of 400 copies more as gradually time, labor, fund and demand rendered further editions possible or necessary. To save future expense of printing, it was recommended to press off 500 copies of labels and index and title page, and to keep 400 in store. The 20 labels, for which the manuscript is now submitted, will form part of the first 50 and belong to species got ready one hundred fold for the first edition. The other 30 labels would be submitted in November and then also the index. The labels in all instances are printed on sheets, and the size of them as well as of the title page is defined by the manuscript sheet. It would save time here, if the labels could be cut at the Gov. Printing Office, where machinery for such purpose is available. As it will require to glue down on sheets for the first 100 copies of 50 specimens each not less than 5000 flowering and 5000 fruiting specimens, it would be desirable, that I should have the labels soon, otherwise it will not be possible to bring out the first fascicle in 1873, as there is only one single person to help me, beyond one or two orphan boys available. It will be for the honorable the Chief Secretary, when the first fascicle is ready, to indicate at what centres of population copies should be placed, whether in Mechanics Institutes, Gov. Offices, principle schools &c &c A few of the copies would be required for those Amateur Contributors, who furnished plants for this edition. The Government Printer might furnish me with one or two sample labels in first instance, before once for ever size type and arrangement of the words is decided on.

Ferd. von Mueller.

 

23/10/73.2

1
See also M to J. Francis, 2 October 1873, in which M asks for sanction for printing the first part of the educational collection.
2
On 25 October 1873 Francis minuted: 'Does Mr Odgers comprehend this? If it be for labels for packets of specimen seeds or plants. It may be as well to authorize them from the Government printer'. Odgers instructed on 27 October: 'The Gov. Printer will be good enough to supply the Gov. Botanist with proof of the paper marked A'. The Government Printer, J. Ferres, reported on 9 December: 'This work is now in hand. The business of the Session prevented its being done sooner.' M was informed by Odgers of the delay and replied on 11 December: 'Returned with best thanks to Mr Odgers for information, but the specimens to which this print refers, and which were taken away from me at the Laboratory have not yet been restored to me.'

Please cite as “FVM-73-10-23,” 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/73-10-23