To Alfred Moloney    24 June 1885

Melbourne

24 June 1885.

To his Excellency Capt. Alfr. Moloney, C.M.G.,

Governor of Gambia &c.

Sir

I have the honor to acknowledge your Excellency's communication, dated 16. April,¹ in accordance with which I have procured on behalf of the Victorian Government for transmission through my ministerial Chief, the hon Graham Berry, Chief Secretary of Victoria, a collection of fresh seeds of such Eucalypts, as deserve trial-culture in Gambia and could be procured just now, the sending being a gift of the Government of Victoria. As regards the saline nature of the ground-water in many parts of your colonial territory I would beg to remark, that all Eucalypts are […]y² to brackish soil; but doubtless many localities in Gambia would still be available for the culture of these important trees.

To provide timber and fuel for places, where the humidity is saline, it will be best to choose species of Melaleuca, a few of which will grow in brackish water, for instance M. Leucadendron, M. ericifolia, M. linearifolia.³ Of these I will procure seeds purposely, and send them for transmission to the hon. the Chief Secretary here. The Melalecuas like the Eucalypts have great anti-malarian power, hence would also [be]⁴ for sanitary purposes a valuable acquisition to your colony and other parts of Western Africa. Some other kinds of Eucalyptus-seed I hope to send later, when fresh procured. May I ask your Excellency, whether without much trouble a small quantity of fresh and well matured seeds of the Coapim-grass (Panicum spectabile), which is so famous for its rapid growth and nutritive property, could be obtained from your colony for test culture in Victoria

I have the honor to be

your Excellencys obedient

Ferd. von Mueller.

Eucalyptus

Melaleuca ericifolia

Melaleuca Leucadendron

Melaleuca linearifolia

Panicum spectabile