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63.10.05

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Ferdinand von Mueller to E. Marwedel, 1863-10-05. 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/1860-9/1863/63-10-05-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026

1
Letter not found. Marwedel was Hanoverian consul in Hobart. The text given here is from B63.10.02, a translation by Marwedel from the German-language original that he incorporated in a paper on ‘Tobacco culture’ that he read to the Royal Society of Tasmania on 13 October 1863. He introduced M’s letter as having been ‘received by me from Dr. Mueller, whose high scientific attainments, I need not tell this Society, are so widely recognised among the learned bodies of Europe…. The original being in German, I have taken the liberty of translating it.’
The report of the meeting in Mercury (Hobart), 21 October 1863, p. 2 stated that M 'also presented several packets of seeds of the finest kinds of tobacco'.
Melbourne Botanical Gardens,
October 5th, 1863.
Sir —
I have received your favor of the 15th of last month,
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Letter not found.
by which you ask me to give some information about the cultivation of tobacco in Tasmania, and I beg to offer the following remarks:—
The temperature of various districts, especially of the northern side of your island, corresponds almost with the southern parts of Victoria, as proved by recorded observations, and by the great similarity of vegetation.
I should, therefore, think that in suitable localities, tobacco could be cultivated with success by you, as it has been done here repeatedly in similar localities in a northern and southern direction from Melbourne.
A countryman of ours, Mr. Pollitz, had planted nearly forty acres with tobacco, and he intends this year to cultivate double the quantity. The locality chosen by this gentleman for his plantation lies at the foot of the Dandenong Mountain, nearly twenty miles S. from Melbourne.
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Mt Dandenong is in fact east of Melbourne.
The soil prevailing there, consists of rather rich deep lying alluvial formations, the points situated a little higher being intercepted by slightly lighter and more sandy spots. The whole is pretty well drained.
I do not know exactly which the yield was last year, but Mr. Pollitz told me before the harvest, that he expected on an average from 10 to 15 cwt. per acre. According to his opinion, the quality of the leaf is very good.
There is no doubt that tobacco will grow in your island with great luxuriancy, at least during the summer months, as your insular climate contains more moisture than ours, and as you are less subject to the hot winds, which prevail here.
Whether at all, and in what degree the greater moisture has an influence upon the quality of the tobacco, experience will teach you, as it appears to me not impossible that the resinous parts, essential to the complete maturity of the leaf and deciding its quality, may only be found in special cases in sufficient quantities in the tobacco grown in Tasmania. At any rate it will be desirable to make experiments and trials to settle that point.
It appears to me very difficult to propose to you sorts, which will be specially adapted for Tasmania, as this is even not decided yet for Victoria, notwithstanding that this plant has been cultivated here for several years, the particular varieties generally grown are the Havannah, Maryland, Virginia, Connecticut, and Kentucky.
Tobacco requires a loose, deep, and nutritious soil, which although not too dry, must always be well drained. It ought to be ploughed as deep as possible and well pulverised, and I recommend that the land set apart for cultivation should be broken up in the spring or winter, allowed to remain so during summer, and planted in the spring following.
Sandy or naturally less fertile soil requires a good quantity of manure; stable manure is under all circumstances preferable, although bone dust, phosphate of lime, or even guano (the latter lasts only for a short time) render good services.
The very fine seed of tobacco is sown in September on beds, especially prepared for its reception, and from these the young plants are transplanted as soon as they have made from 2 to 3 leaves.
That this operation should be undertaken only in dull, or, if possible, in rainy weather, and that the young plant in the first period of its growth, in case very warm or dry weather should set in, should be sometimes watered, I hardly need to mention.
The further proceedings consists principally in the following:—
The plants must be heaped as soon as they are eight inches high, all side shoots and the blossom stalk should be carefully removed, as soon as they appear, and the caterpillars, so troublesome to us, should be regularly taken off, as, if this is neglected, often the entire crop might be lost.
The beds must be freed as much as possible from weeds. The plants should stand four feet apart. A great portion, for instance, the pulling off, the removal of the caterpillars, &c., could be done by children.
The maturity of the leaf is ascertained by the peculiarly sticky surface of the same, and sometimes by the appearance of yellowish green spots on it.
These leaves are either singly cut off and threaded and slowly dried in the shade, or, as is done by Mr. Pollitz, the whole plant is cut off close to the ground and dried in the same way.
The latter method seems to have the preference, in so far that during this more slow drying many of the top leaves, probably not quite ripe, may ripen afterwards; besides all receive more easily a fine color, and the leaves are less subject to break or tear, and lastly it saves a great deal of labor.
It was recommended by many to put the leaves a few days after they are cut in heaps, and to subject them to a heating or fermentation, but as this requires not only great caution, but also experience, as too strong or too long fermentation may easily spoil the whole, and as this operation may just as well be done by the manufacturer afterwards, it appears to me better if the grower confines himself to drying the leaves only in the manner above described.
All the leaves will receive, slowly though surely, a more or less dark brown color. The further manipulation is carried on in the manufactories, and does not belong to this province.
Always ready to serve the Royal Society of your beautiful island,
I remain, &c.,
(Signed) W. F. Muller.