From Joseph Hooker1    28 May 1880

May 28 /80

Dear Baron von Mueller

Thanks for the seeds of Forrests expedition which I have had sown forthwith.

The Dipodium tubers arrived perfectly dead & shrivelled to [rags], the charcoal had appropriated all their moisture — they were sucked dry in short.

We are busy at Palms but what wretchedly imperfect materials we have of the Australian ones. Really the investigation of the Palms of Australia almost requires an Expedition of itself — could you not undertake it, including Lord Howe's Island in the survey.2

Yes, Munro's death is a terrible loss. Bentham & I went down & packed up his collections & all his Agrostographic Library for Kew.

You will be glad to hear that we have just obtained Schimper's Bryological collections for Kew.

I really do not know to whom the subscriptions to the Clifford Fund are payable nor the amount of the subscriptions.3 I do not even remember if I subscribed, but I think I sent £5.5.0.4 You will find I think in "Nature" the names of the persons to whom subscriptions are payable.5 — pray send your contribution direct, there is no object gained by sending it through me.

Ever most sincerely your

Jos D Hooker

 

Dipodium

 
1
MS embossed with crest of Royal Gardens Kew. MS annotation by M: 'Answ 22/7/80'; see M to J. Hooker, 22 July 1880, in this edition as 80-07-22a.
2
Really the … the survey is marked in the margin with a line, presumably by M. See also M to J. Hooker, 22 July 1880.
3
For seeds, tubers, Monro's death and Clifford Fund, see M to J. Hooker, 14 April 1880.
4
Marginal annotation by Hooker: 'Yes I find it so in my cheque book'.
5
Nature, vol. 19 (13 February 1879), p. 349. Clifford, who was suffering from tuberculosis, was forced by ill-health to relinquish his position as professor of applied mathematics at University College, London, to go to live in Madeira, but he died there soon afterwards.

Please cite as “FVM-80-05-28,” 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 24 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/80-05-28