Document information

Physical location:

RBG Kew, Kew correspondence, Australia, Mueller, 1858-70, ff. 385-6. 69.06.04

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Joseph Hooker, 1869-06-04. 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/1860-9/1869/69-06-04-final.odt>, accessed June 4, 2026

1
MS annotation: 'Noted/J.S.' (i.e. John Smith (1821-88)).
4/6/69
A few days ago, dear Dr Hooker, I have sent you a large
Todea

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.
2
M to J. Hooker, 26 May 1869 (in this edition as 69-05-26a).
It required 2 bullock teams and slades
3
and slades interlined. sleds?
to be dragged out of the back gullies of Mt Macedon,
4
Vic.
40 miles from here. It is the largest , which I ever sent to Europe! I hope you will give me a generous reciprocate.
It may be many months before it forms new fronds, & requires bottom heat (gentle) at first and plenty of water. Indeed the base ought always to stand in water.
I hope you got through a friend who was to pass St Helena,
5
Person not indentified.
abundance of living plants from Diana's Peak. Few St Helena plants seem to be in cultivation.
Is it not unfortunate, that the "Borer" exist already in the Australian sugar-plantations! Sir Henry Barkly found the last sending thus attacked on the voyage, the last sent by poor Dr Meller.
6
Charles Meller died in Berrima, NSW, on 26 February 1869, on a visit to collect different varieties of sugar cane for cultivation on Mauritius (Sydney morning herald, 11 March 1869, p. 1). Letter from Barkly not found.
The seeds of
Epacrideae

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from N.S. Wales and Tasmania are promised. These plants are not easily raised from seed & difficult to cultivate. If you could raise
Stenanthera conostephoides

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, it would be a magnificent acquisition to European Conservatories
Always your
Ferd von Mueller
I must try to find means to send you for the Museum a turf of
Scleroleima

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dried in an oven.
7
I must … in an oven’ marginal note.
8
The remaining text is written on f. 386, which is annotated in pencil 'Ward case for Mueller [going] [a] [20th] Bamboos (Spec.)'; '& [Bromelias?]. The annotation may refer to the consignment of Bromeliads and Bamboo sent per Essex which left London on 23 August and arrived in Melbourne on 10 November 1869, carrying ‘4 cases of plants, Dr von Mueller’ (Argus, 11 November 1869, p. 4); see M to J. Hooker, 6 November 1869 (in this edition as 69-11-06a) and 4 December 1869 (in this edition as 69-12-04a). No letter from Hooker written in August 1869 survives.
I have again urged on Mr Abott to send you the
Abrotanella forsteroides

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not only dried for the Museum as a specimen patch, but also in a close case a living specimen for your alpine Garden plot. It ought to travel quite well if not packed too wet.