To Thomas Wilson   12 March 1891

Melbourne

12/3/91.

T. R. Wilson Esqr

Under Secretary.

Sir

In reply to your letter of yesterday, N. 1252,¹ I have the honor to inform you, that I will readily wait with getting the additional room at the Botanic Museum til early in the next finance-year, altho' it is much needed. Not only is the space in the Main building of the museum much over burdened, but also the necessity has arisen for utilizing a detached new room for employing the Bisulphid of Carbon as a preservation of the botanic collections, because for the greater safety of the botanic Museum it has been arranged, that the Junior, lately appointed, sleeps in the building, where the inhaling of the noxious preservative at closed door during nights would become prejudicious to his health. I will therefore defer the use of the Bisulphide of Carbon altogether til the new room can be erected by revoting the needful amount in the next finance-year, that being the only vote for public works in the Gov. Botanists establishment. The error, as regards the heading of the vote this year, called Repairs, arose in the public works Department.²

I have the honor to be,

Sir,

your obedient servant,

Ferd. von Mueller,

Gov. Botanist