Mount Emu
24/2/74
It was with feelings of extreme gladness, dear Commandeur Parlatore, that I learnt
from your letter of the 1 Dec. 1873,
how highly you and your distinguished Exhibition Colleagues had honored me, by choosing
me as one of the jurors for the grand international exhibition of Garden plants at
Florence. At no other period could I have valued this mark of your consideration higher
than now, because I regard it as a vindication of my horticultural dignity from the
highest European authorities. While expressing my deep gratitude for this high testimony
of your appreciation of my exertion in the cause of horticulture, I regret all the
more that a series of obligations here really will not allow me to leave this colony
for a sufficient length of time to share in the great and important labours of your
exhibition and congress. Your letter of the 1 Dec. was only received by me last week
from His Excellency the Governor and the prime Minister, when I had made all preparations
for exploring the ranges West of Cape Otway, on the way to which I now write. My obligations
for the 7th vol. of the Flora Austr. [are] also such, as not to admit of a lengthened
postponement. I have just finished […]
part of the work on
and have to elaborate the great [part]
of
still within the next few months. You are further aware, my honored friend, that
my Department has been so much impaired already, as to render it unwise for me to
leave at this period my position here, because during my absense for a series of months
it may become finally and totally ruined. The Challenger Expedition
will also in a few months require my presence here.
Your despatch to our Governor, forwarded 2 or 3 months ago, and inviting the cooperation
of this colony in your exhibition efforts, came also only
last
week
for the first time before me; indeed I was not aware of the existence of this document
because it was referred by the prime Minister to the Department of Agriculture, but
not to mine.
I made immediately then (last week) an application to the Minister of my Department,
requesting some means, in order that our colony might be a least to a small extent
be represented in your Exhibition, and made arrangements, if a timely approval should
be obtained, previous to my Departure from Melbourne for the despatch of the articles,
which I wished to be secured. I fear however that not sufficient time was available
for effecting the proposed arrangements I learn that Mr Bosisto, a pharmaceut, intends
to forward some oils and other preparations from Eucalypts, these kind of preparations
having been in first instance called forth through myself for industrial purposes
on the occasion of the French Exhibition of 1855 and the London Exhibition of 1862.
With deep regards your
Ferd. von Mueller
I deeply regret of being thus prevented to pay you personally my homage and to meet
also the great men of science at Florence.
