From Ferdinand von Mueller to Alphonse de Candolle   4 Mar 1884

4/3/84.

In reply to your kind letter of the 3 Jan.,¹ honored Sir, I beg to say, that no new portion of the Fragmenta has appeared; but I intend to translate the descriptions of the new plants, given in 1883 through several Journals, soon for the 12. vol. of the Fragm.² The publication of the American Edition of the "select plants for industrial culture" the sixth edition in the English language (Melbourne, Calcutta, Sydney &c) and other litterary work has prevented me from continueing the Fragmenta. The various "Exhibitions" (Expositions) Amsterdam, Calcutta &c³ have also taken up much of my time.

The whole civilized world has as much interest in the monographiae⁴ as in the "prodromus";⁵ and if you sent to each Government a Circular, asking for a subsidy by subscribing for a number of copies, you would have more fund at command, the monographiae could proceed with more celerity, as the printer could add specially for the purpose to his establishment. It is much to be regretted, that such grand, cosmopolitan publication did hitherto not get the status of an international one, to which each Government should give a proportionate extra-support. As the present arrangements are, it must take half a century, to finish the monographiae.

It was not my intention to offer the descriptions of the Myoporinae to the Monographiae and to publish the Atlas without text; the descriptions in the Atlas will be in English;⁶ but if you approved of it, the diagnoses could appear previously in the monographiae, of course in the latin language. I have always purchased a copy of the monographiae for the Departmental library, retaining the graciously sent copy from you for my private Library.

With very regardful remembrance

your

Ferd. von Mueller.