Document information
Physical location:
2/137/1, Archer papers, University of Melbourne Archives. 57.09.21Preferred Citation:
Ferdinand von Mueller to William Henry Archer, 1857-09-21. 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//letters/1850-9/1857/57-09-21-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026
Melbourne bot. Gard[en]
1
editorial addition
— MS damaged.
21. Sept. 1857.
Dear Mr Archer
I am much obliged for your kind attention to Major General M'Arthurs request. If I
am not too much intruding on you, will you let me have one or two small parcels more
of the
Zuly
Imphee?
2
Zulu? Archer, in a letter to the editor (Argus, 2 October 1856, p. 6), offered to supply seeds of 'Zulu-Caffre Imphee' obtained
'from a near relative'. In B72.07.01 and later editions M gives the vernacular name 'Caffir corn' for
Andropogon saccharatus; but see n. 7 below.
I send you 12 packages of Cotton seed, which you probably can distribute without expense
to the applicants for the Holcus simultaneously.
[I]
am sorry, that your name was omitted as a donor to the gardens. You will however observe,
that I said, minor gifts had been received from other gentlemen.
Previous to my taking the responsibility of administrating this establishment, the
books were but laxely kept, and thus I am aware of the incompleteness of the list
of Mr Dallachi.
3
editorial addition
— MS damaged.
4
B57.09.01.
5
i.e. J. Dallachy.
I have however alluded to the Holcus as distributed th[anks] to your
assiduity
in [the] paper on introductions of plants, […]
at the last meeting of our institute.
6
illegible
— MS damaged.
7
The reading of M's paper, B58.05.02, was postponed at the monthly meeting of the Philosophical
Institute, 2 September, until 30 September (Transactions of the Philosophical Institute of Victoria
, vol. 2
(1858), pp. xl, xliii). In the paper M remarked: 'Amongst grains I may also briefly allude
to the Chinese Sugar-grass (Holcus sacharatus), of which the Caffir variety has been
lately distributed throughout the country by Mr. Archer's assiduity, under a desire
of adding to the vegetable treasures of the colony' (p. 96).
Is it not possible to get through your friends abroad occasionally a few seeds of
trees
or
shrubs
of rarer kinds, for which we would be able to offer always an good equivalent. We
do not care much for
annual
seeds, unless from useful species
Obediently yours
Ferd. Mueller.
Holcus