To Joseph Hooker   10 October 1879

10/10/79.

 

It was with much gratification, dear Sir Joseph, that I received this day through the Governor your two very kind letters.1

The views, taken by our venerable Bentham, on honors from the throne are extreme; — and as he has rendered important services to the Australian Colonies, through his elucidation of their Floras, he comes quite within the reach of an order, confined to the mediterranean & colonial possessions of Britain.2

In many instances men of science must make some sacrifices of their own feelings for the sake of their social status, family connections, official position, & where a distinction has a value even for a Lady, she must also be considered.

When you see Sir Henry Barkly, pray remember me kindly to him, and thank him for his continued goodness towards me. I wished he was here again! Assuredly the British Government will still further utilize his great administrative abilities.3

Sir Michael Hicks-Beach must be a particularly kind and enlightened man. I hope that some day it will be in my power, to evince to the right Honorable Baronet actively my gratitude for the consideration, which he has shown me.4

Let me thank you also for devoting again a plate to one of my plants. It almost brings tears into my eyes! The foliage of this 6445 will bring Guichenotia to mind, G. ledifolia in its small state being not dissimilar to Lasiopet. Baueri[.] 5 I gathered seeds of it in 1867 in W.A. My "native plants"6 will not be free from short-comings, but a foundation for a more perfect work will thereby be gained.

Perhaps you will remember, dear Sir Joseph, that I strongly urged to you & Mr Bentham, when you commenced the genera,7 to include the Monochlamydeae among the higher developed plants,8 to which you mainly objected, because it would be better to keep to D.C., as the prodromus9 was everywhere in use. Still, I foresee, that in a new edition you will in due time amalgamate the Apetalae with Calyci- & Thalamiflorae. But a few instances of difficulty occur, e.g. with Casuarinae.

It is kind of you to support Profess. M’Coy at the Council of the R.S.,10 and I will act on your advice concerning the certificate.11

With regardful

remembrance

Ferd. von Mueller

 

Apetalae

Calyciflorae

Casuarina

Guichenotia ledifolia

Lasiopetalum Baueri

Monochlamydeae

Thalamiflorae

 
1
Letters not found.
2
At that period, the Order of St Michael and St George was so confined.
3
Barkly, who was retired on a pension in 1877, was nominated as one of the 'Commissioners on the defence of British possessions and commerce abroad' on 8 December 1879. He did not receive a further appointment as a colonial Governor (DNB).
4
See M to M. Hicks Beach, 29 September 1879.
5
editorial addition. Hooker (1879), t. 6445, illustrates Lasiopetalum baueri 'raised from seeds sent ... by Baron Sir Ferdinand Mueller'.
6
B79.13.08.
7
Bentham & Hooker (1862-83).
8
See for example M to G. Bentham, 24 January 1862, and M to W. Hooker, 29 January 1862 (in this edition as 62-01-29a).
9
A. P. de Candolle (1823-73).
10
Royal Society. See M to T. Huxley, 8 June 1879, and M to J. Hooker, 8 June 1879 (in this edition as 79-06-08b).
11
See Royal Society nomination certificate for Frederick McCoy (in this edition as 80-03-04a).

Please cite as “FVM-79-10-10,” 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 29 September 2023, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/79-10-10