The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: 146 Junction Road ¶ London N ¶ My dear Sir/ ¶ ¶ According to the terms of agreement between the Departments of State my official connection with the Herbarium at Kew ceases at the expiration of the p...

Document information

Physical location:

RB MSS M31, Library, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. 89.09.01

Preferred Citation:

Mordecai Cooke to Ferdinand von Mueller, 1889-09-01. 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/89-09-01>, accessed April 20, 2025

MS annotation by M: 'Answ 17/10/89'. Letter not found.

146 Junction Road

London N

My dear Sir/

According to the terms of agreement between the Departments of State my official connection with the Herbarium at Kew ceases at the expiration of the present year, and I am not aware of any intention to extend it

Cooke was employed at Kew under an arrangement with the India Office. His contract, which was to expire in December 1889, was extended for a further three years; see English (1987).

Under these circumstances I shall be prepared to enter upon any other eligible arrangement which will produce some little remuneration, and occupy my time. It has been proposed to me more than once to enter upon the preparation of a volume on the fungi of Australia, but I have felt no desire to enter upon such a project at my own expence. If the Australian colonies will combine for this purpose it can be carried out

The production of 500 copies of the book in 1 vol. of upwards of 500 pages and 48 plates, illustrating the Genera and subgenera would cost about £420. If this sum were to be advanced for the purpose, and all the copies sold at 25/- or 30/ each I think the whole amount would return to the Exchequer, but I have not the money to spare to invest £400 in such a venture at a time when I shall be wholly without offical employment and only a small pension to depend on

Under these circumstances I have submitted my scheme, with estimates, and should be glad if you would take steps to ascertain the feeling of the governments of the several colonies and as early as possible communicate to me the result

M followed up Cooke's proposal, but was unable to raise the funds needed (see M to W. Thiselton-Dyer, 1 July 1891; M. Cooke to F. Bailey, 3 December 1889, B202 F. M. Bailey inward correspondence, Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney) reported that the proposition had been 'rejected as impracticable'. Flora Martin later successfully lobbied the Departments of Agriculture in the Australian colonies (see A. N. Pearson to F. Campbell, 28 March 1890: Department of Agriculture correspondence of the Chemist for Agriculture, VPRS 7593/P1, vol. 1, 18 October 1887 to 18 October 1888, correspondence book, p. 755, Public Record Office, Victoria) which led to the publication of Cooke (1892); Cooke acknowledged her efforts in his preface. See also Maroske et al. (2018).

I am my dear Sir

yours most obliged

M Cooke

1st Sept. 1889

MS is contained with a bundle of letters to M about the publication of Cooke's work. The letters are inside a folded sheet annotated by M: 'Drawings of Fungs by G. Massee 1889'. No drawings found. See also F. Bailey to M, 17 October 1889 (in this edition as 89-10-17a) and G. Massee to M, 7 May 1888 (in this edition as 88-05-07b), G. Massee to M, 22 April 1889 and G. Massee to M, 12 August 1889.