The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: ¶ 28/3/66 ¶ Dear Krichauff ¶ ¶ Mons. Ramel in Paris has appointed me as his attorney to take out patents in all ¶ ¶ the ¶ ¶ Australian colonies for the use of his method of using eucalyptus leaves...

Document information

Physical location:

Private hands. 66.03.28

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Friedrich Krichauff, 1866-03-28. 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/66-03-28>, accessed September 11, 2025

28/3/66

Theuerer Krichauff

Mons. Ramel in Paris hat mich als seinen Attorney angestellt, um in den sämmtlichen australischen Colonien Patente auszunehmen für die Anwendung seiner Methode Eucalypten Blätter für Cigarren, Rauch u Schnupftabak zu verwenden. Willst Du so gut sein mich wissen zu lassen, ob Du als Agent für diese Sache wirken willst in Südaustralien u unter welchen Gewinn Procenten. Auch ob Du unverzüglich die Verwahrungen für dortige Patentirung nehmen möchtest, wozu ich die nötige Funds dann senden werde.

Ich habe keinen financiellen Gewinn in der Sache sondern thue meinen Theil nur aus allgemeinen Interessen in die Entwicklung vegetabilischer Gewerbsquellen u aus Freundschaft zu Ramel, der für mich jahrelang den Verkehr mit den Gelehrten Frankreichs vermittelt hat. Da die Entdeckung in Victoria bekannt geworden, wird es nötig sein, dass ohne Aufenthalt dem Entdecker seine Rechte in den umliegenden Colonien gesichert werden.

Bitte danke Hr Dr Bayer in meinem Namen für seine Aufopferung in der Leichhardt Sache.

Für Dein liebes Photogram bin ich Dir recht verpflichtet. Es bringt mir nun stets mit erneuter Lebhaftigkeit Deine Züge vor mir. Gott weiss ob wir uns überhaupt je wieder sehen werden. Dein Bild soll den ehrenvollsten Platz in meiner Series befreundeter Gelehrten haben!

Wenn die Osmunda (Todea) barbara gut erlangt werde ich wohl eine Order für mehrere Exemplare geben. Hast Du meinen Rapport u Gartenplan erhalten? Ich werde jährlich einen verkleinerten Supplemental Plan liefern, was am Besten die alljährlichen Fortschritte vor Augen fuhren wird.

Ich muss den jungen Herrn Fischer doch etwas senden, es soll bald geschehen. Du weisst doch, dass dieser Phascolomys lasiorhinus sehr selten sei u dass daher Bälge gut verkäuflich sind.

Ich freue dass Du seit dem Geschäft zufrieden. Danke Gott, dass Du unabhängig geblieben. Ich werde hier trotz allen Mühens u alle Aufopferung von hungrigen u gewisserlosen Neidern abscheulich verfolgt u eine förmliche Clique hat sich gebildet u verfolgt mich methodisch in den Zeitungen um mich zu ärger zu ermüdern u zu verdächtigen u so mein Platz für einen Sinecuristen, nachdem ich all die schwere Arbeit gethan zu finden.

Stets liebevoll der

Ferd. von Mueller

Grüsse Deinen guten Schwiegereltern

28/3/66

Dear Krichauff

Mons. Ramel in Paris has appointed me as his attorney to take out patents in all the Australian colonies for the use of his method of using eucalyptus leaves for cigars, smoking and snuff.

See M Patent application (in this edition as 66-03-24e). The notice in Victoria Government Gazette, 6 April 1866, p. 759 differs substantially in its wording. M made applications on Ramel's behalf in the other colonies for the same patent: NSW (Number 164 in 1867), SA (Number 95 in 1867, presumably arranged through Krichauff) and Tas (Number 46 in 1867). In WA, an ordinance was passed in 1868 granting Ramel exclusive benefit for his invention (WA Ordinance 32 Victoriae, Number 3, dated 3 August 1868). See George (2012).

Will you be so good as to let me know whether you will act as agent for this matter in South Australia and under what percentage of commission. Also if you would immediately take care of patenting there, for which I will send the necessary funds.

I have no financial gain in the matter but do my part only out of general interest in the development of vegetable resources and out of friendship with Ramel, who for years has facilitated for me the communication with the scholars of France. Since the discovery has become known in Victoria, it will be necessary that his rights in the surrounding colonies be secured to the discoverer without delay.

Please thank Dr Bayer

Friedrich Karl Bayer. The 'sacrifice' has not been identified but was probably a financial donation to the Ladies' Leichhardt Search expedition; 'For any cause of charity his generous aid might be confidently reckoned upon' (Loyau (1885), pp. 228-9).

on my behalf for his sacrifice in the Leichhardt cause.

I am quite indebted to you for your dear photograph. It now always brings your features before me with renewed vividness. God knows if we will ever see each other again. Your picture shall have the most honorable place in my series of friendly scholars!

The photograph is not in M's surviving album at MEL.

If the Osmunda (Todea) barbara grows well, I will probably place an order for several specimens. Have you received my report and garden plan?

M to J. McCulloch, 30 September 1865, published as B65.10.01.

I will provide a reduced supplemental plan annually, which will best illustrate the annual progress.

I must send something to the young Mr. Fischer, it should happen soon. You surely know that this Phascolomys lasiorhinusis very rare and that is why its skins sell well.

With M to J. Areschoug, 24 March 1866 (in this edition as 66-03-24a), M sent a skin of the SA Hairy-nosed wombat, apparently via Fischer, likely to be one of Krichauff's brothers-in-law.

I am glad that you are satisfied with the business.

The allusion has not been positively identified but may refer to Krichauff's ceasing to farm in the Bugle Ranges and moving his business as Licensed Land Broker to Adelaide in October 1865 (ADB, South Australian weekly chronicle, 21 October 1865, p. 1).

Thank God that you remained independent. In spite of all my efforts and sacrifices, I am being persecuted here by hungry and unprincipled envious people and a formal clique has formed and is methodically persecuting me in the newspapers in order to annoy and to harass me and to cast suspicion on me and thus to find my place for a sinecurist after I have done all the hard work.

From as early 1862 there was increasing hostility between him and sections of Victoria's horticultural community. In the late 1860s, this spilled over into the press with the Melbourne Argus and its stablemate, the weekly Leader, becoming vociferous critics of Mueller's administration of the Garden.

Always yours

Ferd. von Mueller

Greetings to your good parents-in-law

Ludwig and Maria Fischer.

Osmunda barbara

Todea