13/9/78.
In the mail-news it is stated, dear Mr Odgers, that the British Government intends to cause plantations of Eucalypts to be formed extensively on the newly acquired island of Cyprus.1 It occurs to me, that we might from Victoria offer some aid in this. If the Chief Secretary thinks well of this, I could provide about 20 species of Eucalyptus seeds to your Office for transmission by next English mail.2
Regardfully
Ferd. von Mueller
The Eucalyptus plantations there are intended to subdue the fever miasms.
Eucalyptus
The Ottoman Empire ceded control of Cyprus to Britain in 1878 in return for Britain's guaranteeing that it would use the island as a base to protect the Ottoman Empire against possible Russian attack.
On 18 October Odgers referred M's letter to the Governor, George Bowen. Bowen minuted on 21 October: 'Baron Müller is requested to send the packet of seeds to wh refers to the Governor's Office, when they will be duly forwarded to the Secy of State'. Odgers forwarded this instruction to M the next day, and M sent the seeds immediately; see M to W. Odgers, 23 October 1878.
Please cite as “FVM-78-09-13a,” 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