Ferdinand von Mueller

Virtute Ingienioque Valemus

1

Embossed letterhead incorporating the design for his baronial coat of arms that M had sent to Stuttgert (see M to J. von Wächter, 8 October 1871 (in this edition as 71-10-08a)), and Home (2017)).

Melbourne bot Garden

Newyearsday/ 1872

Allow me, dear Dr Hooker, to offer you my best felicitation to the New year. May it be to you & your family a joyous one.

To me it has commenced in deep sadness and undeserved humiliation, arising mainly from the shameless persecution of Mr Edw Wilson’s papers since a low person from an other journal took charge of the horticultural section of the Argus & Australasian. What a poor triumph for a once respectable paper to rob me of my Director ship and disgrace by the grossest misrepresentations my name, and try to to

2

and try to interlined above name, to bring.

bring permanently the independent administration of a botanic garden into the power of a common gardener without any merit of even the slightest kind, but who last year was fined for drunkenness & streetrow before our own police court!

3

See M to J. Hooker, 6 November 1870, in this edition as 70-11-06a, for the allegation that William Ferguson had been fined for drunkenness in October 1870.

Be it enough. These things can only happen in Victoria! —

I got the two cases with dry plants. A splendid addition to our collections.

4

The contents of the cases have not been identified.

Accept my best thanks for this generous gift.