Ferdinand von Mueller

Sept 21 1872

My dear Sir

I have I believe two of your letters unanswered and have also to acknowledge the box with supplemental

Monochlamydeae

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which reached us safely I am very sorry to hear of the continuance of your troubles — the independent interference of a subordinate is as bad for the garden entrusted to you and as annoying to yourself as the insolent interference of an ignorant superior in the case of Kew Gardens and which has provoked so much indignant remonstrance on the part of all who are connected with science and who appreciate Dr Hooker's value — but notwithstanding all this indignation and remonstrance the evil I fear goes on and will go on.

1

See MacLeod (1974).

For the last two months I have been away from town going up to Kew only about once a week so that I have been able to do scarcely anything but correct proofs etc of Genera Plantarum

2

Bentham & Hooker (1862-83), vol. 2, part 1.

but early next month I hope to be at Flora Australiensis again although till the present part of Genera is out the latter will take up much of my time After much consultation with Hooker I have determined to commence Monocotyledons with the inferior ovary'd orders although for my own part I would rather have begun with the reduced ones taking next the Apocarpous and then the inferior Ovaries In all cases the sequence is difficult as the connections and cross connections of the Orders are very complicated.

3

See G. Bentham to M, 17 April 1872.

I shall therefore first do the

Orchideae

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which I understand you to have sent in the box we are to receive next month — In the mean time I have still several Monochlamydeous Dicotyledons to do

Baron von Müller