To Robert Watson   13 October 1886

Melbourne

13 Oct. 1886

Rob. Watson Esqr.,

Chief Engineer of Railways &c

 

Dear Sir.

The Eucalyptus from the Tambo-River, of which you sent branchlets in bud and fruit also a piece of wood and bark, is — so far as can be judged without the expanded flowers, — Eucalyptus odorata.1 In the Eucalyptography it has been recorded only from South Australia,2 where I noticed it as far back as 1847 on the limestone formation of St Vincent's Gulf and in 1851 near Spencer's Gulf; subsequently it has been traced to the Tattiara-country, to the Nicholson-River, the Genoa and to Cabramatta (and a few other localities in the county of Cumberland in N.S.W) In Victoria and in New South Wales this species of Eucalyptus seems to occur only in a few isolated places; and it would be of interest to ascertain, whether it is confined to the limestone-formation; if so, that would account for its very limited area in our colony.

The wood is evidently of great value, approaching in its characteristics both that of ironbark-trees and that of various box-trees; it has proved excellent for poles, shafts, plough beams, felloes, and spokes; and it would doubtless be lasting for railway sleepers. The tree is generally not a very large one, and its stem is frequently hollow to some extent. Ready to afford you any further information if needed, I remain dear Mr Watson,

Regardfully your

Ferd. von Mueller.3

 

Eucalyptus odorata

 
1
On 30 September 1886 Maurice E. Kernot, at the Railway Department in Stratford Vic., wrote a memo to Robert Watson, Engineer in Chief: 'I have arranged to go to Bairnsdale on Monday to go over the Tambo Forest and obtain samples of timber, with branchlets etc from the part now being worked. Mr Munro's will there. I will send on the samples with as little delay as possible.' Watson forwarded the letter to […] Darbyshire the next day.
2
B79.13.11, Decade II.
3
MS annotation: 'Mr Darbyshire I think this timber may be accepted if good and sound RW 14/10/86'.

Please cite as “FVM-86-10-13b,” 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 20 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/86-10-13b