To Joseph Hooker1    20 July 1880

20/7/80

 

By this mail-steamer, dear Sir Joseph, I send you one2 living stems of Livistona australis3 in a close case. You will be somewhat surprised at this sending, but not so when I explain its object. Last year I instituted an experiment through a settler near Illawarra (Mr Kirton), whether palms of many years growth could be moved with impunity from the virgin-forests and replanted at distant places. To effect this with any prospect of success, I ordered the palms to be dug up with a ball of earth, (free from the surrounding soil) remaining adherent, and then to earth them in again at once at the spot, so that young rootlets might be formed prior to the final lifting and despatch. In this manner we got four palms, many feet high, with a ball of earth, merely wrapped up in matting carted to Illawarra from Bulli and shipped to Melbourne. Three of the four lived, here in the open air, in the garden of a friend of mine, and are now of splendid aspect with new leaves developed.

To follow up this experiment I had one4 more palms left after the first lifting for a longer period in the original ground; this is now lifted and forwarded in a close box, for your establishment. The Agent of the P. & O. Company in the interest of this experiment has given free transit so that I had only the expenses from Bulli to here to defray.

No doubt, you will say, that you got plenty of this Livistona already, to take up space under glass; but it will be of interest to ascertain, whether palmstems will keep alive on long voyages (closed up) under the above conditions. If so, a trade will spring up in palm-stems for Conservatories, just as the transit of fernstems has become a considerable trade (for Australia much through me & for Cycas & Todea solely through me). Doubtless, if this experiment should prove successful, growing palms will be brought across to England & other parts of Europe from Mexico, Central America, Brazil, Ceylon, India & West Africa, & perhaps even Zanzibar &c.

Regardfully your

Ferd. von Mueller

 

As no bill of loading is given, please send at once to the P. & O. office.

 

Cycas

Livistona australis

Todea

 
 
1
MS annotation by Hooker:'Acknowledged Oct [6]/80 JDH'. See J. Hooker to M, 7 October 1880.
2
one over two deleted.
3
Livistona australis underlined. MS annotation :'Rec in good order Oct 1/80'.
4
one over two deleted.

Please cite as “FVM-80-07-20,” 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 18 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/80-07-20