I am delighted that the experiment of sending the Psamma in a living state from here to India answered. Should the small lot, which was planted there not succeed, which may be a climatic question, then a larger quantity can be sent from here, so soon as you desire it. I enclose herewith some fresh seeds of the Elymus Arenaria, which is a sort of lieutenant to the Psamma, as you may see in the ‘Select Plants.’ Should you have some select sorts of Melon seed will you kindly send them.1
Elymus Arenaria
Psamma
The extract from M's letter is followed by the lengthy 'note' that accompanied it, which had been published in Australasian, 24 June 1893, p. 1149 and later quoted without acknowledgement by the Vagabond in his piece on Koroit and Port Fairy in Leader, 28 October 1893, p. 31, and again in Leader, 2 December 1893, p. 8, in a different context.
The report concludes:
As already reported only one root of Marram grass reached Calcutta alive, and after sending up a shoot two weeks after planting the root, it died.
The seeds of Elymus Arenaria have not yet germinated. A collection of Melon seeds was sent to Baron von Mueller as desired.
The report of this meeting also records, under 'Presentations', that M had sent seeds of Atriplex prostatum, Atriplex halimoides, Atriplex spongiosum, Ptilotus exaltatus, Elymus arenarius, Pentzia vergata, and Polygonum Sachalenense (and notes that the seeds of the last-named species had not germinated).
Letter not found. For the text given here, see Proceedings of the Agricultural and Horticultural Society of India, 1894, pp. 8-10. The text appears in the proceedings for the meeting of 2 February 1894, under the heading 'Communications'. The item is dated to December 1893 as the latest likely date that the work could have been sent, to be noticed at this meeting. It is introduced by 'Marram Grass.—Psamma Arenaria. Baron F. von Mueller, Ph. & M. D., K. C. M. G., &c., wrote regarding this fodder grass and enclosed a note on the same.'
Please cite as “FVM-93-12-00d,” 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