12/3/94.
Am always delighted, dear Mr Tyson, when a parcel of plants arrives from you, as it always contains some of prominent interest.
After so dry a season, the change of a wet one is increased. May turn out a glorious year for you and your kind brothers
I will send a large parcel of fresh seeds of economic plants by next mail. They will arrive probably at the best season for sowing.1
Do any of the Acacias there bear gum in appreciable quantity?
What you say about the Beet having grown where Peas and Beans seem to fail, is most interesting you may thus gain an important kitchen- and stable-plant.
Such notes will always be welcome indeed, as we know so little as yet about the cultural capabilities of the Murray Regions.2
Will soon write again.
Wish you all every happiness and success
Ferd von Mueller.
The Murchison Goldfield journal3 would be sure to be glad of notes on your Beet &c
Acacia
No letters giving details of seeds sent by M to Tyson on this or other occasions have been found, but Geraldton advertiser, 3 July 1896, p. 2, col. g, reports 'WE have received from Mr. J. Tyson, of Mt. Narryer, Murchison, some specimens of cotton and millet sago grown by him at his homestead on the Murchison from seeds supplied by Baron Von Mueller.' Two of Isaac's brothers, John (Jack) and William shared in the station, but the Morning Herald (Perth, WA), 6 May 1897, p, 4, col. i, states that samples of cotton on show in the offices of the Bureau of Agriculture were grown by Isaac Tyson, 'with the assistance of a little irrigation, from seeds supplied by the late Baron von Muller, who was of opinion that the result of the experiments would be useful to the department.' 'Millet sago' has not been found as a botanical common name, but is a combination dish in Indian cuisine. M listed more than one millet in B95.08.04 as a human food grain.
WA, south of Perth on the western slopes of the Darling escarpment. There is a small amount of evidence that the Tyson brothers had interests or connections in the area, but this has not been confirmed.
The Murchison times and "day dawn gazette" (Cue, WA) began publication in August 1894 and is probably the 'journal' mentioned here. No account by Tyson of his 'Beet &c' has been found in that newspaper, but Tyson's interest in fodder plants is illustrated by a small item in the issue of 5 August 1897, p. 2, which reports that he sent several varieties of seed to the Secretary of the WA Bureau of Agriculture.
MS black-edged.
Please cite as “FVM-95-03-12,” 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