April 26th [189]31
To the President of the Royal Society of South Australia
My dear Sir
I have just been questioned by the Department of Agriculture Re the publication of the proposed supplement to Bentham's Flora Australiensis2 You must have observed that in my circular3 that no mention was made of any government having authorised me to prepare the manuscript of the proposed work. I cannot but think that as I am a member of your Society that it would have been more courteous had the society written to me on the subject if information was required. I should have been glad and ready to have answered any questions the society felt inclined to ask. I have not pushed myself forward to do the above work, but rather have held back. In fact for some years past a number of lovers of botany seeing the determined stand taken by Baron Mueller against the style and nomenclature of the Flora Australiensis, have urged me to prepare a volume containing the descriptions of all the fresh plants which have been added to our known Flora since the various volumes were issued. This at last I have undertaken to do and as my word has been given I shall prepare the manuscript and when ready it will then be time enough to see about who shall publish it.4 I have no ill feeling against Baron Mueller in the matter, but as a botanist I consider his system and nomenclature deter rather than assist the cause of botanic study — I am dear Sir yours very truly
F. M. Bailey
Please cite as “FVM-M93-04-26,” 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