It is a new commercial article for the packing of fresh fruits destined for transmission to great distances. It is a superior article for that purpose, as proved first in New South Wales, as it is pliable, remarkably soft, smooth and fine, antiseptic, light, and soaks up any moisture from bursting fruits. It ought also to be a cheap article, as the 'tea trees,' from which it can be obtained, abound in many of our swamps.1
The Leader (25 August 1895, p. 10) later reported that the bark of Melaleuca leucadendron was being used to pack fruits in Queensland, and quoted M's account of its other properties from B91.09.01, pp. 273-4; the equivalent entry in B95.08.04, p. 303, included its use in fruit packing.
Letter not found. The text given here is from 'Horticultural notes', Leader, 9 March 1895, p. 13 (B95.03.01). It is introduced by
We are in receipt of a sample of the "Paper Bark" of the Melaleuca squarrosa, one of the "Tea trees" of our southern swamps. The sample came from the Colac district. Baron von Mueller says of It:—.
Please cite as “FVM-95-03-00a,” 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