Melbourne,
7. May 1883.
T. R. Wilson Esqr
Undersecretary.
Sir
In reply to your letter N. 16891 I beg to inform the honorable the Chief Secretary, that I shall in accordance with his wish endeavour to bring together as many industrial articles, as may be within my reach departmentally or otherwise for the Calcutta Exhibition.2 In an establishment like that, administrated by me, vegetable resources would claim my attention. Thus woodspecimens in a presentable form, Tan-material, Gums, Resin, fibres and other products and educts of plants would be got together, so far as they really represent articles or material for trade and export. Thus I would not advise, that indiscriminately seed-collections are made up for the Exhibition, as only a very small percentage of such seeds would represent mercantile goods. The same remark applies to fibres, of which only such would be chosen by me, as could be got for practical purposes in large quantity cheaply, and as would readily yield to manufactural processes at rope-work, in paper-mills, on looms &c. Large numbers of samples might be prepared, if no restrictions are adopted, but such indiscriminate exhibits would be misleading to a great extent. I find it my duty, to point this out, as I should not aim at quantity, but quality on occasions like this, and as it would be unwise to form collections, when only selections are requisite. These are the principles, which guided me since I was a Commissioner and Exhibitor in 1854-1855 at the first Paris Exhibition.3
I would propose to exhibit also a large Todea-fern at Calcutta, as no species of that genus occurs in India; but it will not likely be possible to obtain such exceptionally gigantic specimens, as were sent to the Amsterdam international and the Petersburg Horticultural Exhibition.4 A collection of dried plants could also be sent, or rather a selection of such, as would represent our best indigenous fodder-herbs, most nutritious grasses and leading technologic plants.
As I have no longer any laboratory or apparatus, not the labor of a carpenter and other former auxiliaries available, it may be worthy of the consideration of the hon. the Chief Secretary, whether my vote, which is the smallest of all departmental establishments, could have added to it a modest item for the Calcutta Exhibition specially, the means at my disposal during the present finance year having proved quite insufficient, to carry effectually on the ordinary service along with the heavy extracalls on the departmental fund for the Amsterdam Exhibition.5
I have the honor to be, Sir, your obedient
Ferd. von Mueller.6
Todea
Please cite as “FVM-83-05-07,” 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 28 March 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/83-05-07