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Memorandum from the Government Botanist: —
Since fully 28 years almost all naming of plants for correspondents in all the Australian Colonies has been done by myself (and always gratuitously so) as Government Botanist of Victoria, so that few specimens indeed since 1857 could have been sent to Kew Gardens from this part of the world;2 similar information can also in future be afforded by me all over Australia tending at the same time, to increase continually our collections. The means of protecting the large herbarium here against inroads of insects consist in the application of Bisulphide of Carbon.
(signed) Ferd. von Mueller
25 February 1885.3
The covering despatch from Governor Loch (Despatch 44, 1 April 1885, registered in the Colonial Office 11 May 1885) states: 'With reference to Your Lordship's Circular despatch of the 15th of December last inclosing an extract from a letter from the Director of Kew Gardens with reference to the formation of Herbaria, I have the honor to transmit to Your Lordship a Memorandum which I have received from the Government Botanist of this Colony upon the subject.'
The extract from the letter from J. Hooker of 30 October 1884 stated:
The institution of such local herbaria in connection with the various Colonial Botanic Gardens is a work of the highest utility. Without an institution of the kind, we are burdened with the task of naming and identifying for our correspondents year after year the same plants. The preservation at each botanical centre of accurately named types of the vegetation of their respective countries obviates this tax, and sensibly relieves our overburdened correspondence. It becomes easy to sift out on the spot from collections the new and undetermined specimens, which our staff can then examine and report upon with expedition.
It is very important that such a permanent collection should be protected from the ravages of insects. Mr. Ford [Probably Charles Ford, Superintendent, Botanical and Afforestation Department, Hong Kong, 1871-1902] has probably taken steps to provide for this, but it may be useful to give the composition of the fluid used at Kew for the purpose: —
Methylated Spirit 1 gallon
Corrosive Sublimate 1/4 Lb.
Carbolic Acid 1/4 Lb.
With this the specimens are brushed over once for all after they are mounted.
The circular was sent to the 'Officer Administering' the following Colonies: 'Ceylon, Straits, Mauritius, B[ritish] Guiana, Trinidad, B[ritish] Honduras, NSWales, Victoria, S Australia, Queensland, Tasmania, N Zealand, Cape, Natal, Hong Kong' (National Archives, London, CO 854/25, Circulars, Colonial Despatches, 1884).
Please cite as “FVM-85-02-25,” 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 26 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/85-02-25