To Paul Maistre1    18 April 1888

Melbourne,

18 Apr. 1888.

Mons. P. Maistre,

Acting Consul General of France &c.

 

Honored Sir,

In continuance of former correspondence I beg to inform you, that as yet I have been not very successful in obtaining the seeds of the Grasses and Saltbushes from the interior, desired by his Excellency the Minister of foreign affairs of your great country, — owing partly to the advanced season and partly to the devastations caused by the Rabbits widely over the interior of Australia.

For these two causes it became difficult, to send purposely a collector far inland, so that I had to rely on the aid of friends in the interior, to obtain the desired seeds. Every prospect however exists now, to get supplies from different localities, and it seems best, that such sorts, as do come in, be at once fresh despatched, as the arrival of the various kinds will extend over considerable time.

Accordingly I now have the pleasure of sending seeds, just received, of the valuable Chloris truncata, which grass will prosper in the driest regions, and which grass is particularly mentioned at page 203 of the "Manuel de l'Acclimateur" of Prof. Naudin & myself.2

Whenever more sorts of Grass-seeds or of other pasture-plants, adapted for North-Africa, shall have arrived, I will always forward them at once to you.3

I have the honor to be, Sir, your obedient

Ferd. von Mueller

 

Chloris truncata

1
MS annotation: 'Eé. No. L12 le 19/4/88. Accusé reception le 23me Transmis avec rapport le 25 Avril' [Registered no. L12, 19/4/88. Acknowledged on the 23rd. Sent with report on 25 April]. Acknowledgment not found.
2
B87.14.06.
3
See M to L. Dejardin, 1 February 1892, where M sends more Saltbush seeds for North Africa.

Please cite as “FVM-88-04-18,” 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 19 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/88-04-18