Document information

Physical location:

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Thomas Anderson, box 2, letters from various originators 1859-68, vol. 1, no 157. 65.02.24d

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Thomas Anderson, 1865-02-24 [65.02.24d]. 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/1860-9/1865/65-02-24d-final.odt>, accessed June 4, 2026

24/2/65
Dear Dr Anderson.
The enclosed letter explains itself.
1
Enclosed letter not found.
Can you kindly advise, whether we should apply to any one, known to you as reliable for effecting the purchases. If I was free to act, I would ask Mr Butler; for I have had a very pleasing and advantageous communication with that Gentleman for a series of years & he showed himself always most zealous kind & generous.
2
No manuscript correspondence between M and H. L. Butler in Calcutta has been found, but see H. Butler to M, May 1862 ( in this edition as 62-05-00g).
But as some misunderstandings seem to exist between Mr Butler & the Acclimation Society,
3
See G. Sprigg to H. Butler, 25 May 1864 (in this edition as M64-05-25). Dissatisfaction had already been expressed by Sprigg in a letter to Butler dated 24 February 1863, in which he commented that 'axis deer were the only useful things' sent, and that 'the porcupines are utterly useless'. 'Since then Dr Mueller has sent you 1 pair of black swans in account of the Society and I have sent you another so that there must be a heavy balance of animals coming forward' (No. 63/221, pp. 371-2, unit 2, VPRS 2225, Zoological and Acclimatisation Society of Victoria, outwards correspondence book 1862-3, Public Record Office, Victoria).
I think it will be better, that the commission should devolve on some other Gentleman.
I would ask, whether the field seed[s], forwarded several months ago through Messers Law Summers & Co. from here arrived safely? Being to some extent responsible for the arrangements I am eager to hear of the safe receipt of the large consignment.
I have sent by this mail to you some few kinds of Pine seeds. My foreign trees are not bearing and of native ones we have only
Callitris

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& I have no access to
Araucaria

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ranges1000 miles from here at a frightful expense. The
Eucalyptus

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seeds I rather enclose in the letter.
Eucalyptus

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plants must be transferred from pots or sown where they are to remain. I shall look forward gratefully to the Sikkim pine seed[s], you kindly gathered. We never can get too many of them in this country. I shall send you a share of our seed harvest when done.
With friendship
yr
Ferd Mueller