The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: Melbourne ¶ bot Garden ¶ 6/9/71 ¶ ¶ I was quite amused, dear Dr Hooker, when I read, that you evinced any anxiety at all regarding the transfer of the great Todea to Flottbeck ¶ and thence to Berlin...

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Physical location:

RBG Kew, Kew Correspondence, Australia, Mueller, 1871-1881, ff. 21-22. 71.09.06

Plant names

Todea
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Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Joseph Hooker, 1871-09-06. R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora, J.H. Voigt and Monika Wells (eds), Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, <https://vmcp.rbg.vic.gov.au/id/71-09-06>, accessed September 11, 2025

Annotated; ‘Ansd Dec 1/71’, See J. Hooker to M, 1 December 1871 (in this edition as 71-12-01a).

Melbourne

bot Garden

6/9/71

I was quite amused, dear Dr Hooker, when I read, that you evinced any anxiety at all regarding the transfer of the great to Flottbeck

The nursery run by John Booth near Hamburg. See M to J. Hooker, 29 August 1871 (in this edition as 71-08-29b); the relevant letter from Hooker to M has not been found. Booth and Hooker were anxious that 'in the eyes of the English gardening community this plant must have nothing to do with Kew — else they would make a great noise' (J. Booth to J. Hooker, 26 June 1871 (in this edition as M71-06-26)). Booth felt the need to agree with Hooker about how he would describe the way he came by the plant when he sent a photograph to journal editors; Hooker annotated the request 'Sent to Mr Booth by Dr Mueller, transmitted through Dr Hooker — figured by permission of Mr Booth who supplied photographs' (J. Booth to J. Hooker, 13 July 1871, RBG Kew, Directors' correspondence, vol. 139, f. 61). Booth was prepared to return the if Hooker had difficulties, and told Hooker that 'I tell everybody it is a present from Müller and told so in fact to a good many who saw the plant' (J. Booth to J. Hooker, 30 July 1871; RBG Kew, Directors' correspondence, vol. 139, f. 58). Hooker later suggested to Booth that he send reciprocal specimens to M as a way of reinforcing the perception that the was a gift to him from M (J. Hooker to M, 1 December 1871 (in this edition as 71-12-01a)).

and thence to Berlin. It was sent to you, to deal with quite as you pleased and altho' it is larger than the one now at Kew, it may not be much heavier nor really more valuable. And where can it be placed better, than where the worthy Mr Booth desires to locate it? I am sure, we will all be glad to see the big thing stationed in Berlin, but really the credit of presenting it must be with Mr Booth and yourself not with me.

By the Great Britain I wrote already, that I will have a hunt for an other during the next months, when the vallies will get dry again, at least sufficiently to try once more our luck.

See M to J. Hooker, 29 August 1871 (in this edition as 71-09-29b).

It is a sort of romantic sportsmanship, not althogether

altogether?

without the charm of brack neck danger, a sort of steeple chase of peculiar kind. So what with snakes, which may kill one notwithstanding Prof Halfords Ammonia injection

See Halford (1869).

(good as it is) and what with treacherous instable boulders and things of that sort, I assure you it is quite a romantic affair! The £15 -. kindly sent by you to Mess C Blackith & Co, I will spend on an other or two, as really I do not relish the idea of having taken cash for anything, that Kew may want.

Of your glorious ascent of the higher Atlas, which will make you illustrious also in African Geography, I have sent a note to the Argus.

See J. Hooker to M, July 1871 (in this edition as 71-07-00c). J. Hooker & Ball (1878) contains Hooker's published account of the expedition.

Parliament here has shown itself to me just and considerate in this session and removed the forest Inspector,

William Ferguson. During the debate on the approval of the budget vote for the Botanic Garden on 23 August 1871, with reference to the position of William Ferguson in the Garden, the Treasurer, Graham Berry, was reported as saying that he was 'fully aware of the anomaly referred to, and arrangements should be made to retransfer Mr Ferguson to the Lands department as promptly as possible' (Argus, 24 August 1871, p. 6). Ferguson was not, however, finally moved from the Garden until December 1872 (Fox (2004), p. 205). See also Cohn & Maroske (1996).

(who has during the last years destroyed no end of the most valuable plants in my ground,) from the bot Garden to the forests. I feel, after 10 years passive and 2 years active persecution of half a dozen low malicious and untruthful traducers as if I was born anew, and as if the life with all its hopes was once more before me!

Can you kindly tell me, what plant furnishes the Cundorango Bark of Central America.

There is a marginal note in pencil, not in Hooker's hand: '"Nature" say it is Mikania Guaco . [D]ana did not know it.’ (The reference is to Nature, vol. 4, 26 October 1871, p. 514.) See J. Hooker to M, 1 December 1871 (in this edition as 71-12-01a). OED says that 'ten or twelve different barks have been included under this name'.

It is used by N American Surgeons in Skirrhus,

Variant of scirrhus: 'a hard, firm and almost painless swelling or tumor' (OED).

but I am incredulous that this new remedy can have that specific effect, which is ascribed to it. Nevertheless we should not be too hasty to reject and always ready to learn.

With best salutation

Baron Ferd. von Mueller