Chief Secretary's Office,
Melbourne 3. March 1884
Memo, No. 728
With reference to the "Giant Todea" fern sometime back transmitted by the Government Botanist to the St. Petersburgh Horticultural Exhibition, I shall be obliged if he will inform me what was the total cost of obtaining the fern, and transporting it to its destination; and also give me particulars as to what votes, or funds, such cost has been charged to.
T. R. Wilson
The Govt Botanist
Todea
See also M to G. Berry, 19 March 1883, and M to T. Wilson, 4 March 1884.
On 30 November 1883, Baron Mohrenheim, Russian Ambassador, London wrote to Earl Granville, Foreign Secretary, London acknowledging the receipt of the Todea barbara which M sent to the St Petersburg Botanic Garden, adding that the cost of the freight had been partly borne by M and partly by the Government of the Colony of Victoria. Mohrenheim stated that the Imperial Department of Lands wished their most sincere thanks to be conveyed to the Colony of Victoria. The Imperial Department of Lands' request went through the Foreign Office to the Colonial Office, to the Governor of Victoria, to the Chief Secretary who sent it to the Premier. On 11 February 1884 E. Thomas, Secretary to the Premier, asked the Under Secretary, T. Wilson, to inform him of the particulars of the initial arrangement between the Government and M in regard to the transit of the fern. Wilson replied that they were to be found in papers already sent to the Premier in June. Thomas wrote again to Wilson on 25 February: 'It seems that the expense (and the honour) has been divided between the Govt of Victoria and the Baron von Muëller. May I enquire whether this arrangement was with the knowledge and approval of the Government, and if so what proportion of the expense was borne by the Baron von Mueller?'
Please cite as “FVM-84-03-03,” 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/84-03-03