To Ebenezer Thomas   8 June 1885

I beg respectfully to suggest, that 96 copies of the second suppl. of the Census of Austral. plants1 be supplied to the recipients of the 10th Dec. of the Eucalyptogr.2 through the publ. Library, Dr Bride having thus far the list, which refers mainly to beyond Victoria.3 Irrespective of this, 210 copies of the second suppl. are needed for the Mechanics' Institutes and free Libraries of Victoria (to whom the Eucalyptography was not regularly sent); but as the main-publication of the Census went not out from or through the Gov. Botanists Establishment to the Mechanics Institutes and free Libraries, I cannot furnish the list, which doubtless could be obtained from the Gov. Printer, through whom (so I believe) the former presentation of that work thus far was made. I am not sure, whether it was followed up by the transmission of the first supplement to these Victorian Institutions, so that probably both supplements would require yet to go out to them, to complete their copies of the Census.

Ferd von Mueller.

 

8. June 18854

1
B85.02.05.
2
B84.11.19.
3
Approval to distribute had been given in response to M to G. Berry, 5 February 1885. Notwithstanding this apparent delay in distributing the Supplement, some had been distributed in February, see Sydney mail and New South Wales advertiser, 21 February 1885, p. 403, where it was described as 'just issued' and part of the text quoted. Copies to Mechanics Institutes were evidently distributed in August; see the reported receipt of a copy at the California Gully Mechanics Institute meeting of 18 August, in Bendigo advertiser, 20 August 1885, p. 2.
4
On 11 June the Premier, J. Service, stated that he found the matter of M's B85.02.05 distribution very confusing, and 'in order to clear the matter up' suggested that the Government Printer, J. Ferres, be asked: '1. Whether he supplied the 1st Census Supplemt to the Mechanics Institutes &c. 2. Why if so — he sent the copies of the 2nd Supplement intended for the same Institutions to the Library 3. Why he did not send to P[ublic] Library the copies ordered by the letter from this Office'. Ferres replied on 31 July that he had supplied the First Census Supplement [B84.13.16] to the Mechanics' Institutes in Victoria and therefore sent sufficient copies of the Second Supplement [B85.02.05] to the Public Library so that they also could be sent to the Mechanics' Institutes. Ferres included with his letter a list of 217 places that had Mechanics' Institutes.

Please cite as “FVM-85-06-08a,” 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 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/85-06-08a