Ferdinand von Mueller

1

MS is glued to the back of the title page of a copy of Guilfoyle (1883). The introduction to Guilfoyle's work is dated April 1883. Guilfoyle inscribed this copy: 'To Sir Joseph D. Hooker, KCSI. CB. P.L.S. &c &c &c Director, Royal Gardens Kew With the Authors Comps 9th October 1883.' He inscribed another copy held in the Library: 'To George Bentham Esq F.R.S &c &c &c 25 Wilton Place S.W. London With the writers kind regards 12. Decbr 1883.'

The letter is dated to October 1883 based on Thiselton-Dyer's annotation: 'Recd. Nov. 21/83'. MS has no salutation or valediction. The text, on both sides of one folio, appears to be a postscript to another letter; if so, it was probably included with M to W. Thiselton-Dyer, 9 October 1883 (in this edition as 83-10-09a), which was answered on 26 November 1883.

You will likely receive from here a catalogue of the plants of the bot. Garden. This production is sure to be without a spark of originality, and it is not likely ever to come before me. In seeing it, do remember, that the plants catalogued are nearly all got together by me, and that the names were in the course of years either determined or confirmed by me also. Large numbers of plants, existing at my time, were however be

2

Superfluous word?

lost.

With Sir Will. and Sir Jos. Hooker I have always considered such catalogues to a large extent mere vaste

3

waste?

of expenditure. Very few people will or can use them, as the 3000 large Iron-labels, left by me, afford all the information sought by ordinary visitors.

Moreover such catalogues become incomplete at once by new accesses, or incorrect by frequent losses. For these reasons Kew very wisely husbanded its resources and never furnished a catalogue since the second edition of the Hort. Kew.

4

Aiton (1812-13).

Catalogues in this expensive shape serve also but little interchanges, in as much as only of a limited portion of the plants any seeds or living plants would at any time be available

What I suggested to Sir Will and Sir Joseph repeatedly was, that by united efforts we should annually furnish a complete catalogue of garden plants, which every bot. Garden could use, and which would serve horticulturist[s] all alike, as the annual nautical almanach serves all Navigators. As regards the Melbourne catalogue, I suppose, where the plants came from will be suppressed, as usual reminding of the German proverb: "Es ist leicht aus anderer Leute Leder Riemen zu schneiden,"

5

'It's easy to profit at another's expense'.

the truth of which I have to my loss experienced often in life!

A universal annual catalogue would be very different to Mr Jacksons nomenclator

6

This work, financed by Charles Darwin and undertaken by B. D. Jackson, was announced in the Journal of botany, vol. 20 (1882), p. 32, as a new edition of Steudel's Nomenclator botanicus (1840), but became Index kewensis (i.e. B. Jackson (1895)).