Melbourne,
16/2/74.
Sir
I have the honor to inform you, that I am summoned as a witness to the Court of Bacchus marsh to give professional evidence tomorrow morning, and that I shall proceed on my journey to the western districts immediately afterwards.1
I have the honor to be,
Sir, your obedient servant,
Ferd. von Mueller.
The honorable the Chief Secretary.2
M had sought permission to travel to examine vegetation in M to J. Francis, 5 February 1874 (in this edition as 74-02-05a). The present letter was initialled by the Undersecretary, 'WHO' [i.e. W. H. Odgers].
On 17 February 1874, M was a witness in a case brought in the Bacchus Marsh court of Petty Sessions against a landowner for neglecting to cut thistles when issued with a notice. 'Baron von Mueller deposed that he was Government botanist. The thistle produced was the Carduus lanceolatus. The popular name was the spear thistle. … The Baron was then questioned as to the germinating property of the seeds, and the proper time for cutting thistles. He said that the best time for cutting is when the thistles are running into flower, and not when actually in flower, as in that stage the seeds would perfect their growth in the flowerlet unless burnt. The constant cutting of thistles was the only way to get rid of them, and they would require to be cut several times in some places, according to soil and season. … [The defendant was fined, with costs, but] Baron Mueller declined to take costs.' (Bacchus Marsh express, 21 February 1874, p. 2).
Please cite as “FVM-74-02-16,” 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