[From Baron von Mueller, in reply to a letter,1 expressing his readiness to deliver a lecture to the Ballarat Farmers’ Club, but some months hence, as his time will be engaged in field work till late in the autumn, for the completion of the seventh volume on Australian plants.2 Also stating that a lecture which is to exercise a lasting benefit should necessarily be written so as to admit of its being fully printed. This would of course require sometime; hence the postponement. He also thought it best to choose a somewhat different subject from that indicated by the club,3 inasmuch as he had delivered an extensive discourse “On the application of phytology to the industrial purposes of life,”4 a few years ago at the local Technological Museum, which discourse embraced largely the uses of knowledge of plants applied to farming. That lecture, together with two others also delivered by him at the Technological Museum,5 might, however, be reprinted, and further distributed over the colony as suggested in his last official report to Parliament.6]
Letter not found.
Bentham (1863-78). M was collecting in the Western District of Victoria; see M to W. Odgers, 23 March 1875.
At its meeting on 16 January 1875, the club had adopted the suggestion of Mr Bacchus that M 'be requested to read a paper to the club on "Use of botany as applied to practical farming"' (Ballarat star, 18 January 1875, p. 4). The letter of invitation has not been found.
B71.04.03.
B71.13.03, B72.07.02.
M to R. Ramsay, August 1874 (in this edition as 74-08-00) (B74.09.01).
Letter not found. The text given here is from 'Correspondence' in a report of the meeting of the Ballarat Farmers' Club held on 20 February 1875, in Ballarat star, 22 February 1875. The response to M's letter was also reported: 'On the motion of Mr M’Dowall it was decided that Baron von Mueller’s letter be acknowledged with thanks, and that the secretary write to him requesting him to fix the time when he will be prepared to deliver his lecture, as also to state the subject he intends to lecture on' (letter not found). At its meeting on 17 April, a letter from M was reported (letter not found), suggesting that he deliver his lecture on the third Saturday in May, i.e. on 15 May 1875 ('Ballarat Farmers' Club', Ballarat star, 19 April 1875, p. 4). M's lecture on the cultivation of tea (B75.05.01) was delivered on that date.
Please cite as “FVM-75-02-00b,” 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