Katamatite1
January. 5th.
To Baron Sir F. Von Mueller
Sir,
I am forwarding to you per this day’s post a specimen of a thistle which is making its appearance in this district, and would be pleased to hear its name. By letting me know if it is the Californian or any other dangerous thistle, and if such, the best means of eradicating it you will be doing a favour to the farmers here.
I am, yours, etc.,
F. S. Batey2
Vic, about 46 kilometres NE of Shepparton.
The letter is followed by one to Batey from G. Luehmann, replying as M was in New Zealand for the meeting of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, saying that the specimen is not 'the so-called Canadian or Californian thistle' and Identifying it as 'Kentrophyllum Lanaterm' [printer's error for K. lanatam?].
Letter not found. The text given here is from 'A new thistle', Tungamah and Lake Rowan express and St. James gazette, 22 January 1891, p. [2]. It is preceded by a Letter to the Editor from Batey, explaining the context of the letter to M.
Please cite as “FVM-91-01-05,” 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