10/7/91
Allow me, dear Prof Watson, for the second time, to send payment through you to Mr Pringle1 also for the new set of Mexican plants, lately received, and be so kind, to sign and return early the enclosed receipt, so that the outlay, which I made out of my private means, may become refunded to me at the Gov. Treasury here, which can only be effected by a receipt of this kind.
I am in a fix about Pinus resinosa. I can find no data about the greatest stem-diameter.2 Loudon gives it only at 2'.3 Michaux's work4 I have only in an incomplete copy. Macoun5 gives only localities. Have I overlooked any important Publication, referring to trees of the Eastern states of N. Am.? On the Western states much litterature so far is extant and accessible to me. I hoped Mr. Pringle would have gathered for me some original notes at all events on timber and bark of Mexican Oaks. Have you kindly any addenda to suggest for the new edition of the "Select plants"6 from regions, traversed by you? I adopt now the genus Serenoa. Pray, bid my best greeting to the genial and generous Prof. Goodale!
With regardful remembrance your
Ferd. von Mueller.
The £10. deposited at the U.S. Consulate here have hardly been touched yet7
Pinus resinosa
Serenoa
The Australasian Virtual Herbarium (accessed 2 March 2020) lists 667 specimens at MEL collected by G. C. Pringle in the United States, Mexico and Cuba between 1881 and 1908, including c. 40 specimens collected after 1896 or which are undated. AVH reports a set of 172 at NSW, and specimens are also reported at CANB (24), HO (14) and CNS (1).
In B91.09.01, which was in press, M gave the diameter as 3 feet. In the text under the species he acknowledged both Sargent and Fernow for some of his information, each of whom was also acknowledged in the previous edition (B88.12.01), and Sargent in the prior one (B85.12.03). In B85.12.03 and B88.12.01, he had given the diameter as 2 feet. The diameter was again reported as 3 feet in the next edition (B95.08.04), but no additional authorities were quoted.
M’s source not found.
Probably an edition of F. A. Michaux, North American sylva, an English translation of Histoire des arbres forestiers de l'Amérique septentrionale; see TL2 (title 5961) for the publishing history of the work.
Macoun (1883-1902), part 3, p. 465.
B91.09.01 was in press using a private firm acting for the Government printer; see M to T. Wilson, 19 March 1891. The next edition was B95.08.04.
PS is written in the centre margin of the reverse of the sheet, i.e. between pages 2 and 3.
Please cite as “FVM-91-07-10,” 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