Ferdinand von Mueller

1

MS annotation: 'recvd. 22/4/71 B. of L. [Bill of Lading] sent to [T]aylor same day J.S' [John Smith (1821-88)].

Melbourne botanic Garden

9/2/71.

In accordance with your request, dear Dr Hooker, a grand effort has been made to drag a monster-fern (

Todea Africana

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) out of the back gullies of Mount Macedon.

2

Vic.

These ravines are very deep and when I say that this fern is likely to weigh 1500 [lb] you can depicture to yourself, what the work has been to drag it out with slades,

3

sleds?

horses, oxen, many mens labor and consummate skill. Great credit is due to Messr. Smith of Riddells Creek in carrying out these arrangements, they having first moved Todeas for me and on my suggestion before these monsterferns came into the trade of export. You will be proud of this particular Todea, now shipped by the Norfolk, because it is the largest specimen ever seen by any one and not likely surpassed by any others in existence, if indeed equalled. I regret that neither my own worldly means or those of my almost ruined department do admit of sending you this fern gratuitously; but as you authorized me to expend £10 (ten) towards obtaining such a monster, I have sent you a receipt for that sum from Mess Smith.

4

The receipt is glued to the back of f. 7; see John Smith & Sons to M, 8 February 1871.

The cost would have been far more, had not Linden given an order for a number of large Todeas, (now known after my exportations) to Mess Smith — Hence a regular costly

5

cost-sharing?

arrangement could be made and as I bought some myself and others were sold here, the affair could be managed comparatively cheaply.

6

See M to J. Hooker, 21 March 1871.

A single

Zamia spiralis

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is put into one of the sinus of the Todea, and more could have been put, but I had none of size and the weight of the case would still have increased

Be so friendly to pay the £10 over to my private Agents, Mess. Blackith & Co; Cox's Quay, Lower Thames Street, London.

It might be well to ascertain the exact weight of the Todea, when well watered in, and the weight of the fronds afterwards by calculation. The freight must be paid in London. If you record this in the Bot. Magazine, I trust you will not forget to give me credit for having set the Todea trade going like many other horticultural concerns.

7

J. Hooker (1870a) reported on this specimen: 'Still larger specimens than the above have since been sent to Europe by Baron Von Mueller, of which one, presented by him to Mr. Booth, of Flottbeck, Hamburgh, weighed one ton 3 cwt., its dimensions being 5 feet eight inches high, seven feet nine inches wide, and three feet three inches in its smaller diameter'.

An act of justice like this helps supporting my horticultural position, and thus my London friends should not have allowed to let my last report on the Garden to remain ignored by the Gardeners Chronicle. Such people as the travelling Veitch have done much towards the damaging of my Directorship here by the offhand and thoughtless way in which he wrote about my garden, and not showing even so much fairness afterwards to make his shortcomings publicly good again.

8

Gardeners' chronicle, 7 April 1866, p. 316. See also M to G. Bentham, 22 April 1870.

The persecution towards me still continues, and what the feelings of a highminded man must be, who spent his best years, his property & all his time in his Department, you best of all can imagine.

Mr Edw. Wilson and Mr MacKinnon in London might have much done to avert all this undeserved misery from me, by interdicting timely the persecution of the Argus against me.

9

See Cohn & Maroske (1996). Edward Wilson and Lauchlan MacKinnon were owners of the Argus.