To William Thiselton-Dyer   16 March 1887

16/3/87.

 

If I do not write much, dear Mr Dyer, you will know, it is not from want of attachment to Kew, but by the force of overwhelming work. The “Key” is still far from completion, and daily duties of routine are always heavy anyhow. Yesterday I gave evidence on “forests” before a parliamentary Commission.1 Forest-affairs look very gloomy for the next century anywhere in readily accessible regions.

I greet with delight your Bulletin!2 Some thing of the kind I had in contemplation, if I could have remained in the Garden.

Prof Luerssen has only examined yet a small portion of the Papuan Ferns, so I have resolved, to send to Kew fragments of each species; from what little I have, only small pieces can be spared, as Sydney and Brisbane have also to be supplied. But to keep faith with Dr Luerssen I would beg of Mr Baker to communicate with him on any species which may perhaps prove new; — Mr Forbes ferns did not come here.3

Regardfully your

Ferd von Mueller

 

Mr Davidson, who went with Mr Sayer on a mission of mine to the summit of Mt Bellenden Ker,4 will, (if he does not alter his plans) return next month to England, where his father is the Proprietor of a Great Iron factory. The young Gentleman will bring you the small case with rooted plants of the redflowering Correa Lawrenciana. Though5 hardier than any other species, it should arrive in Spring at Kew. It was Mr Findlay, after whom I named the Bertya Findlay[aea],6 who kindly got the cuttings for the second time and planted them in pots. So they came here, where they have been under my care for many month on the few square yards of garden-ground at my little Cottage.

Let me hope, that these particular cuttings will also show the brilliant color of the var cardinalis of C. speciosa, such as I saw when 18737 I discovered in one single valley the red flowered C. Lawrenciana. Speaking of the bid8 of ground on which I dwell, I am reminded of Seume’s words

"Von allen diesen fetten Gaunen

Gehöret mir ja nicht,

ein Fussbreit Land um Kohl darauf zu bauen,

Zu einem ländlichen Gericht.”9

Which, if I may fuse10 it in English language, might be [put]11

“Of all the rich and verdant tillage,

Not so much is my share,

To grow a single dish of cabbage,

For a plain rural fare!”

Mr Davidson will give you if you like a verbal account of the dangers and toil to ascend Mt Bellendin Ker.

Just had a glorious letter from Asa Gray12

 

Bertya Findlayaea

Correa Lawrenciana

Correa speciosa var cardinalis

1
Argus, 16 March 1887, p. 9, col. 6; see Frost & Harvey (1997).
2
The first part of Kew’s Bulletin of miscellaneous information was published in January 1887.
3

Red pencil line in margin against I would beg … proves new. The initialsJGB [John Gilbert Baker] are alongside the line.

See notes to M to W. Thiselton-Dyer, 17 February 1886.

4
Qld.
5
Red pencil line in margin against will bring … though Annotated in lead pencil in marginNot yet rec 10-8-87 W.W. [William Watson] and Failed, see lett 4/7/87 [i.e. M to W. Thiselton-Dyer, 4 July 1887, which arrived at Kew on 22 August 1887].
6
after whom … Findlay[aea] is a marginal note with intended position indicated by an asterisk. The end of the word is cramped at edge of sheet, but it is definitely not the correct Findlayi.
7
1873 interlined.
8
bit?
9

M is evidently quoting from memory, and somewhat misquoting, from ‘Abschiedschreiben an Münchhausen’ (1792) by Johann Gottfried Seume (1763-1810):

Ich habe von den vielen fetten Gauen,

Auch keinen Fuss, mir meinen Kohl zu bauen

Zu einem ländlichen Gericht.

10
M is using a figurative sense of an archaic meaning of ‘fuse’, namely ‘to set out hastily’ (OED).
11
Word obscured by binding.
12
Letter not found.

Please cite as “FVM-87-03-16a,” 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/87-03-16a