1/5/88.1
It would appear, dear Mr Dyer, that some expressions in your and my letters about Todea were misinterpreted by us mutually; let me therefore say, that I felt downcast at the announcement of the extraordinary cheapness of these ferns at present and dispirited to make further efforts in that direction to enrich European Horticulture.2 From your letter, which arrived yesterday,3 it would however appear, that the largest of your recently purchased ferns (Todeas) weighs only ¼ ton, whereas, if I rightly remember, the first sent by me to Kew weighed without fronds 1700 lb, and the one which I sent through the Exhibition-Commissioners finally to Kew weighed 2700 lb without fronds. So your new acquisitions must be mere pygmies against these Giants. Kindly consider, that it is not only the extraordinary rarity of such colossal and aged specimens, which makes the discovery of any one an achievement, but that the great trouble, time-taking arrangements are in addition must be recognized, not to speak of the monetary sacrifices. As you never alluded to these two magnificent Todeas of mine in your letter, I felt grieved, all the more as in my being horticulturally (so to say) exiled, any appreciation of what I yet can do for aesthetic or scientific gardening is immensely cheering to me and vice versa. Have none of the rare seeds furnished within the last five years yielded any plant by which through the Bot. Magazine or the Icones plantarum4 my interest in horticulture can be sustained occasionally yet? No doubt a few will arise for illustration in these great works, when I shall soon no longer be among the living, to enjoy thus far the fruits of my horticultural toil.
The "Key"5 (as you will be aware) is nearly ready, and I will try to keep out of direct jurors duties at the Exhibition here,6 so that I may soon resume the working on Papuan plants, and send a set of them to Kew then by gradual instalments, so far as they can be spared. Of course in many Cases Papuan and also Austral. plants exist only in unique and indivisible exemplars in my Museum here. With every wish to aid your grand Department also in future
your
Ferd. von Mueller
Todea
Hooker (1865-1904); Hooker (1867-88).
Hooker (1867-88) was not restricted to species in cultivation in England, and would thus not contribute to M's standing in horticulture. However, species described or supplied to Kew by M were figured in Hooker (1867-88), vol. 16, plate 1541, Dipteranthemum crosslandii and vol. 17, plate 1689, Acrostichum neglectum; both these volumes were dated 1886-7.
Hooker (1865-1904) illustrated plants in cultivation. Despite the implications of M's letter, the most recent illustration in this work that was based on M material was in 1887, Pultenaea rosea, M having supplied the seeds from which the plant was grown; see vol. 113, tab. 6941. Indeed, a contribution from M was illustrated in all volumes from 1883, except volume 112 of 1886.
An illustration of Howea belmoreanadated 1 October 1888, with a discussion of M's views on the species, but drawn from a plant sent from the Sydney Botanic Garden and growing at Kew, was published in Hooker (1865-1904), vol. 114, tab. 7018. Eucalyptus stricta, 'raised from seed probably sent by that indefatigable correspondent of the Gardens, Baron von Mueller', was published in vol. 115, tab. 7074, with comments on M's views 'in his most valuable "Eucalyptographia"'. M's species, Faradaya splendida, figured from a specimen sent from the Brisbane Botanic Gardens, was illustrated in vol. 117, tab. 7187, and Moraea robonsoniana, described by M and Moore, having been in Kew Gardens since sent by Moore from the Sydney Botanic Gardens in 1873, was figured, after it flowered in 1891, in vol. 118, tab. 7212.
Please cite as “FVM-88-05-01,” 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/88-05-01