Ferdinand von Mueller

1

Letter not found. The text given here is from Wellington independent (NZ), 14 April 1868, p. 5 (B68.04.06). It is introduced by ‘Lanka’ as follows:

To the Editor of the Independent

Sir— It might prove useful to persons having plants of the species mentioned in my last letter, if you would permit me to give a few directions as to their treatment, kindly furnished by Dr Mueller, Melbourne:

The earlier item to which ‘Lanka’ refers was a letter to the Editor published as 'The acclimatisation of the cinchona, tea, and coffee plants, &c.', Wellington independent, 31 March 1868, p. 5, that read as follows:

In reference to the letter in your issue of the 24th inst., I beg to intimate that I have just received from Dr Mueller, Melbourne, a small assortment of plants, comprising — Cinchonas, Coffee, Tea, Caper, Western Australian Mahogany, Cork Oaks, Pines, etc, a portion of which I shall be glad to distribute for acclimatisation purposes to any person having suitable grounds to give them a fair trial. I will give full directions for their treatment; and should much like for some of our up-country settlers to try them in the warm and sheltered positions so suitable for the success of the experiment. If any persons desirous of assisting will leave their names at your office, I will try and oblige all parties, so far as the number of plants go. — I have, &c, LANKA.

The offer to 'supply directions for their treatment' suggests that ‘Lanka’ had also received from M the culture notes presented here, which are therefore dated to March 1868 as the latest likely date that M’s letter, with the culture notes, could have been written to be reported in the newspaper at the end of that month.

The cinchona requires deep, rich, and rather loose soil, which though under any circumstances must be well drained, should nevertheless not be too dry, or at least capable of being irrigated; shelter against strong wind and the too powerful rays of the sun are also requisite, fern tree gullies would be most likely to answer. They can be propagated by layers or cuttings (if no seeds are available), but in either case they fear too much moisture. It has been found very useful to rest the end of the cutting on bits of brick, or for layers to insert a small piece of brick in the slit, as this prevents the shoot from rotting. In India a small quantity of bark is obtained from some of the branches after five or six years. It remains to be seen whether here the trees will grow with the same celerity. The plant will not stand frost, though in the Melbourne Botanic Gardens, some plants of the cinchona which were exposed did not die, though often during last winter the thermometer stood at 29¾ deg. Tea, will grow best in similar localities, but it is a great deal more hardy, the severest frosts never injuring it. The same is the case with the cork oak and mahogany. Capers like a damp rich soil, and in winter they frequently die down to the roots. Coffee appears rather doubtful. It may live, but perhaps would not flourish.