Ferdinand von Mueller

29/7/81

It is very kind of you, dear Sir Joseph, that you intend to let me have a set of spare specimens of the additional lot of R. Brown’s plants.

1

Duplicates of the collections of Robert Brown (1773-1858) had been bequeathed to Kew by J. J. Bennett, and the British Museum had sent others. See J. Hooker to M, 10 June 1881.

— Yesterday the Agent General's telegram arrived, conveying your answer, that Mr Dyer would oblige us by going for the three colonies to Bordeaux.

2

See M to J. Hooker, 22 July 1881.

I am glad of this, and Mr Dyer will himself officially be greatly concerned in this dreadful Phylloxera matter which is involving such endless losses, as affairs stand at present. I have the periodicals of Planchon here on the American Vines

3

Planchon (1875).

& try to do what I can!

4

See M to J. Hooker, 18 May 1878, and notes thereto.

But without a garden, staff, fund or even office-building what can I do? Helpless also in this respect I am – for any experiments must be entrusted to others, on whom I cannot rely, whose interest it not is to promote or sustain my research in this or any other direction, and over whom I have no control nor power. — No, my dear Colleague — if still I can call you so —, a Gov. Botanist without a garden is an absurdity and hollow-mockery. D'nt mind me , for the little time in life, left me; but let us all as professional men uphold the rationale & dignity of the principle of our positions at the head of the great science of plants officially.