To Louise Matthiessen   2 July 1896

2/7/96

 

Am quite delighted, dear Louise, with your kind letter and with the felicitation at the anniversary of my life1 from all of you. I had also a kind letter from your dear Mother,2 and she baked as in former years for me the same little cakes which our own lamented Mother, whose name Louise you have from her, prepared for us children in the earlier part of the century. I send you a little book for your children, as the plant-pictures may inspire them to take notice of the flowers particularly in a humid year like the present. I could send you seeds for your Flower- and Kitchen-Garden if you have means for cultivating Herewith you receive also some envelopes, into which with the help of your little ones you might place plants obtainable near you. I want particularly minute plants, of all kinds, and of these Australia is richer than any other of the great divisions of the globe. Each envelope would cost only when filled to the weight of 2 ounces 1d3 by ordering post, 2d for 4 ounces. It is for tracing still further the geographic distribution of these miniature-plants, that I require them. Perhaps Ladies on Stations or Farms near you would also collect these minute plantlets. Next to them the most important are floating or submerged weeds.

I send you seeds of the most beautiful of all Australian Everlastings. Cattle, Horses and sheep like this West-Australian plant, and it gets easily naturalised. You find a note on it in the "Select plants" under Helipterum Manglesii. The newest Edition4 is sent by this mail, and Mr Matthsien5 will find [many] notes in it which he can turn to account on your estate. All land- or station-owner, should have this work, and you might show it to some of your Neighbours. The Government Printer here sells it as6 cost price 5/ only and postage. I have no monetary profit from this or any other works of mine.

With best greeting to all of you

Ferd von Mueller

 

Have you my large lithographic portrait?

All senders of of7 dried specimens get full credit in my works for any discoveries made.

Kindly give some of the Envelopes to people far inland

 

Helipterum Manglesii

 
1
M's birthday on 30 June.
2
M's sister, Clara Wehl.
3
i.e. one penny.
4
B95.13.02.
5
i.e. Matthiessen.
6
at?
7
word repeated.

Please cite as “FVM-96-07-02,” 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 23 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/96-07-02