Document information

Physical location:

IA/1/1874/3278, National Archives of New Zealand, Wellington. 74.11.03

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to George Cooper, 1874-11-03. 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/74-11-03>, accessed September 11, 2025

Melbourne, 3/11/74
G. S. Cooper Esqr &c
Undersecretary, Wellington
Sir
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, dated 6. Oct.,
1
See G. Cooper to M, 6 October 1874 (in this edition as 74-10-06b).
in which you apprize me of the generous consideration, evinced by the hon. Dr Pollen, the Colonial Secretary, in regard to my suggestion, that a new edition of my "Select Plants" might be issued in New Zealand.
I feel much honored with this mark of attention, and now in accordance with the request of the honorable gentleman I beg to forward herewith a copy of the successive portions of this work.
2
No consolidated edition of M's Select plants had yet been published; the 'successive portions' to which M refers were presumably B71.06.02, B72.07.01 and B74.13.06. The first consolidated edition was B76.12.04.
Should the ministry of your colony finally decide to cause the reprinting of the whole, then I would suggest, that the whole should be thrown into one continuous alphabetic series. With a view of facilitating this, I caused an alphabetic manuscript list to be prepared for the guidance of the printer, who would find no difficulty in selecting thus from the various indicated pages of the four essays the plants for uniform alphabetic accession, and who would insert the limited number of additional plants, and the many additional notes, as given in the manuscript, also in their proper places.
In the index, classifying the plants according to their products, the timber trees are now also generically indicated, so that no trouble can arise to any one, who merely desires information on forest trees. I may be allowed to remark on this occasion, that a reprint of the lists of the trees merely would not meet even the wants of your forest department, in as much as for instance the Chinese tea-plant (not to speak of numerous others) will assuredly play an important part in the forest culture of a country like New Zealand.
In the prints, now transmitted, the necessary alterations have been made, so as to accommodate the work to your colony (instead of Victoria).
It would be desirable, that for the short Victorian meteorologic table one of N.Z. be substituted. The title of the work has also been altered with a view of a continuous alphabetic arrangement, and with the anticipation of a reissue in N.Z.
New on this occasion is the geographic index, which will enable those, who may use the work, to see at a glance, which particular plants might be obtained from any country, where they may have facilities through correspondence or otherwise for communication.
The three prefaces, written in three different years, being short, might reappear unaltered.
Allow me also to suggest, that any new edition may not be one too small, our experience here has shown, that after a very short time the supply of 1300 copies was exhausted. When once in time, a larger supply of copies can readily be struck off, with but little additional expense.
Should the work in its present form prove too extensive, then it might be reduced by the omission of the geographic index. Having learnt that Dr Hector is likely to proceed soon on a visit to Europe,
3
Hector left per Howrah on 13 February 1875 (New Zealand times, 15 February 1875, p. 2).
I would suggest that Mr Th Kirk be entrusted with the revision of the proof sheets.
4
On 27 November, E. Richardson [probably Edward Richardson (1830?-1915), Minister of Public Works], referred M's letter to Hector for report. On 8 April 1875, Walter Mantell, member of the Legislative Council, naturalist and active member of the Wellington Philosophical Society, acting Director of the Geological Survey and Colonial Museum in Hector's absence, commented: 'Dr Hector's opinion as to reprinting Baron v. Müller's work is appended to the Baron's first note. To me the M.S. does not seem to be in a state which would enable me to produce a satisfactory reprint. The Baron proposes to leave the work of compilation to the Govt Printer & that of editing to Mr Kirk. The latter gentleman might undertake the duty assigned to him but could not be expected to do so without adequate remuneration. Is the Govt prepared to pay for this & to instruct the Govt Printer to do his part. I have only seen these papers today'.
On 26 August 1876, T. M. Curl, MD, wrote from [Mamla] Bush Station, Central Rangitiki, to Pollen: 'I learn from Baron von Mueller the Government Botanist in Melbourne, that he made arrangements with the New Zealand Government through yourself & Dr Hector, to reprint in New Zealand a work of his upon Industrial plants, worthy of cultivation in these Colonies. As I have for many years been engaged in experiments in the introduction and acclimatisation of economic plants, I very much wish to peruse the above mentioned work of Baron Von Mueller's. Will you therefore kindly inform me if this work has been reprinted, or when it will be printed, & where I can obtain a copy.' Pollen instructed on 11 September that Curl be told that the Government had not yet been able to reprint M's work. Cooper added: 'I think that the promise given to Baron von Mueller should if practicable be fulfilled'. Pollen asked that the situation be brought under Hector's notice when he returned.
On 18 March 1881, Curl wrote to the Premier of NZ, J. Hall: 'I have just received from the learned Baron von Mueller Botanist to the Victorian Government the following offer, which I beg to transmit to you. After mentioning that the Government of N. S. Wales have just brought out an enlarged edition [i.e. B81.01.04] of his most useful, and celebrated work showing what "Select Plants" may be cultivated with advantage, and for economic purposes in temperate climates; He states that if it should be thought desirable to publish a New Zealand Edition, he would send the necessary copies of the work on "Select Plants" to this Colony, so they might be printed here, and that he would like to dedicate the book to you (the New Zealand Edition). He is under the impression that the New Zealand Government have been contemplating publishing an Edition of this work. Will you therefore be so good as to inform me if this is the case and whether you would like Baron Von Mueller to forward you the copies he would correct for a New Zealand Edition.' Hector was asked for his opinion on 30 March. He replied on 7 April: 'There are former papers on this subject relating to a prior application. They contain my opinion.' The matter was then referred to the Colonial Secretary 'who has before dealt with the matter' (IA/1/1881/1421). No NZ edition of the work was published.
I have the honor to be, Sir, your very obedient
Ferd. von Mueller