Ferdinand von Mueller

Melbourne

26/10/74

It was with much gratification, dear Dr Hector, that I yesterday learnt from the Under Secretary of N.Z.,

1

G. Cooper to M, 6 October 1874.

that you had brought my proposition for a reprint of my industrial plants before the C.S.

2

Colonial Secretary.

of N.Z., and that my suggestion was favorably entertained. I now thank you for this mark of consideration, and only write inofficially a few lines to inform you, that within a few days I will forward a complete copy of the prints to the Colonial Secretarys Office, and these prints will be accompanied by an alphabetic index, so that the printer can not err, when fusing the whole into one. A brief meteorologic table of N.Z. should be substituted for that of Victoria, and I should feel honored if you would write a few introductory lines and place your honored name on the title page as Editor for the N.Z. edition.

3

See also M to G. Cooper, 3 November 1874. No New Zealand edition was published.

You will observe, when you kindly revise the new proof, that some of the notes are very brief, also that the whole is brought out in a very popular style. It is difficult to say, where to stop in a work of this kind, when such a multitude of objects from most parts of the globe present themselves for introduction to these colonies, and when such a work has to be brought within a few hundred pages and yet no plant of any great importance should be omitted. I have however striven after accuracy, and so you will see the authorities given with the scientific names more correct than even in the most recent works. Supplements must of course appear, in as much as not even all parts of the globe are explored yet. What wondrous plants of utility may we even yet obtain from the subalpine zone of New Guinea. Mexico teems with oaks, but we know almost nothing of their respective value. As a whole this little book ought to afford much and easy help to your cultivators