To Alphonse de Candolle   7 May 1887

7/5/87.

It is always a joyful event, when from you, honored and venerable Sir, a letter arrives, and all your generous communications will be treasured up in my select Archive.¹

I will continue from time to time sending Museum-plants, as your great collections and those of your illustrious parent will offer standard-material for phytographic researches through centuries!

An Agency here has established business relations all over the world now, so that it is easier to forward contributions, than in former years.

I use also M. Durieu de Maisonneuve's method of treating botanic specimens by the vapour of Bisulphide of Carbon, as explained by him, when he introduced this method and wrote to me on the subject about 20 years ago.² I have several large iron-boxes into which not only new collections are placed, but also annually the whole parcels of the normal dried plants, about half a million sheets, are inserted, as new insect-brood is apt to reenter, the effect of the Bisulphide of Carbon not being permanent.

I hope, you will allow me, to defer my contribution to your Monographiae phanerogamarum til next year, as I have been urged by Government here, to bring out a new work on the native plants of Victoria, according to Lamarck's dichotomous method. This I find takes up an enormous amount of time, much more than I thought; and thus so my whole departmental obligations got into arrear. — When this dichotomous Key is ready, I shall have the pleasure of sending you a copy.³

Let me hope, honored friend, that your health continues firm, and that you thus can enjoy all your renown through a long evening of life!

Ever regardfully

your

Ferd von Mueller.

I have to thank M. Casimir D.C. for a valuable essay, just sent to me.⁴