Melbourne bot. & zool. Garden,
20. April 60.
My dear & venerable Sir William,
I need not assure you, that I was delighted to be once more honored by a long letter
from you, brought by Dr Seemann.
Engaged in official duties from home, when my learned countryman called, I lost for
the present the opportunity of making his personal acquaintance; but as Dr Seemann
is expected to be back to Melbourne within some months, I anticipate the pleasure
of meeting him under my roof; and one of the greatest enjoyments, which will arise
to me out of his visit, will be that, of having a long conservation
with him about yourself.
I am so glad that you are able to confirm Dr Hookers most welcome intelligence of
your perfect recovery from your illness,
altho' this joyful assurance is coupled with the sorrowful news of the afflictions,
which befell Lady Hooker.
I trust that your life will be gladdened by the return of perfect cheerfulness into
your family circle.
I am glad, that everey thing is so far arranged, that a series of works on the plants
of the various colonies will be ere long issued under the auspicies of the Imperial
Government, and that Mr Bentham is inclined to commence with Australias flora. The
immense material at his command, the facility of access to it through the Grand arrangements
at Kew, the long experience of your friend in describing plants & above all the unlimited
mastership over his time, are likely to secure for Australia soon a more excellent
work, than any other author could furnish.
Altho' since the year 1847 when I landed in Australia & commenced here my botanical
labours, it was always a favorite idea of mine, to do finally what Mr Bentham intends
now, and altho' I have made myself great preparations for the purpose & many sacrifices,
I shall still be delighted to see Mr Bentham perform the task & give every information
I can to facilitate his labours.
A delay of 1 or 2 years in the publication of the work would probably have been so
far desirable, as meanwhile I could have published much, what now must appear as supplement
to Mr Benthams work. I can however quietly proceed with the flora of Victoria & the
Fragmenta & trust to render services thereby. This time I beg to submit a few plates
& some letterpress again. The
amongst
is certainly one of the oddest plants lately discovered. Also
appears to me curious, and I am not perfectly sure, whether I have placed it correctly
into
.
There is one consideration however, which I would most seriously impress on Mr Bentham,
it is, not to disbeautify his work by the useless recital of
herbarium or index names!!
The principles which should guide every botanist in this are simply, that every synonym
should be quoted, whe[n]ever it was published with a description, and that every synonym
should be banished from botanical literature, which had not the above claim on perpetuity.
It is after all but a poor triumph to a really great & noble minded man to boast in
having reduced a number of species, which in reality not existed in botanical literature,
and I frankly admit that some authors of the "plantae Muellerianae" in the Linnaea
have lost my friendship (perhaps not much) imprinting against my wish a number of
manuscript names, studiously avoiding to state in candour, that such names were merely
adopted to fix in my diaries (yet unpublished) the
habitats
of plants, which to do in the first instance I possessed no better means.
When once the Universal flora of Australia is published, we will no longer be neccessitated
to use such objectionable means.
That you still are able to advance so zealously & so effectually the progress of Botany
is a wonder to the whole world & the only example the history of our science afords.
May God spare you, Sir William, long yet for our guidance & for our admiration.
Ever your very humble [and]
grateful
Ferd. Mueller
Sir Will. Jacks. Hooker.
K.H.
&c &c &c
I receive monthly the excellent bot. Mag.
Will
, now cultivated everywhere & introduced by me into Europe 1851 when I discovered
it in the Flinders Ranges
not deserve a plate in the Magazine? I decribed it in the Linnaea in 1852.
The first seeds which ripened of the equally rare & beautiful
are enclosed. Nothing is easier multiplied than this species, which I think deserves
well a place in Conservatories.
I enclose also seeds of the
, the famous spinage-clover of Sir Th. Mitchell, occuring on Lake Torrens, the Flinders
Ranges, the Darling & Murray. It is considered an excellent fodder herb, worthy of
extensive cultivation.
I have the pleasure of sending you also a copy of our Resource Report.
