Orange Grove
Urana1 30th/7/85
Baron Von Mueller
Melbourne
Dear Sir
Many thanks for the seed of fodder grass kindly sent. as I am quite unacquainted with this variety might I trouble you for directions in the cultivation of it. I may say that the soil is a good dry loam & the climate is dry & hot in Summer.
a grass that could withstand heat & drought would be very valuable.
I enclose a small bit of the Boree tree,2 it you wish for some of the seed I could send some when ripe in the Summer, also seed of the Salt bush at the same time.
With regard to the value of Boree tree as food for Cattle & Sheep I think very highly of it. some years ago when we had no grass for several months, & when all our Horses died that were not stable fed I kept all our cattle alive on Boree alone, & some of them in good condition, but Horses will not live on it, it seems too strong for them. Sheep do very well on the leaves of the Boree The Trees should not be cut down, but have the branches loped3 or better still flogged which will not prevent them growing again.
trusting this may be some use to you & again thanking you for the Seed
I remain your obt Sernt4
Joseph F. McCulloch
If I can give any further information I shall be glad to do so.
J. McC
Please cite as “FVM-85-07-30,” 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