Document information
Physical location:
Carteggio Parlatore, Biblioteca Comunale, Palermo. 73.00.00dPreferred Citation:
Ferdinand von Mueller to Filippo Parlatore, 1873 [73.00.00d]. 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/1870-9/1873/73-00-00d-final.odt>, accessed May 10, 2026
1
The letter is dated to 1973 as the latest that it could have been written before Biagi
ceased to be Consul in July 1873. The dating is very uncertain: M was dismissed from the Gardens at the end of May (C. Hodgkinson to M,73-05-31) so if in 1873 it must have been written no later than the end of May. Biagi became Consul in 1864 and the wording of the letter indicates
that he had been Consul for some time when it was written; the pattern of surviving
correspondence suggests that it was more probably written in the early 1870s than
in the 1860s.
Monsieur
Une temps assez longue c'est passée depuis que j'avais le plaisir ou d'entendre de
vous ou de vous adresser moi même.
Par l'intermediation de votre excellent Consul à Melbourne, Signor Biagi je vous ai
expedié de temps en temps quelques graines de nos plantes mais comme ce n'etais generalement
que peut d'espèces que j'envoyai a la fois, je ne vous ai pas avisé de leur expedition.
Néanmoins j'éspère qu'ils soyent arrivé.
Aujourdhui je me permet de vous adresser une liste de plantes que j'aimerai obtenir
pour mon etablissement. Vous observerez que ce sont presque sans exception des plantes
utiles pour la medicine, l'economie rurale ou techniques & parce [que]
je toche de completer mes collections de ce genre autant que possible, et j'espère
que vous allez bien aider mes efforts en me remettant de graines (ou des plantes vivantes)
des espèces enumerés que vous avez en culture. Tous les autres du même genre mais
pas enumeré dans ma liste seraient aussi bienvenues.
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editorial addition.
Notre recolte de graines sera fini dans quelques mois, et alors j'espère de pouvoir
vous envoyer une collection plus complete que je n'ai pu le faire au paravant.
Agréez je vous prie les salutation sincères et amicales du part de
Votre
Ferd von Mueller
Mons. le Professeur Parlatore
Je renferme quelques timbrepostes pour vos enfants.
Je me rapelle justement que ce n'etait pas vous mais Mons le Prof Todaro qui m'en avait demande, ainsi que je les remis à lui
Botanic Garden, Melbourne
Sir
It has been a long time since I had the pleasure either of hearing from you or of
addressing you myself.
Through your excellent Consul at Melbourne, Mr Biagi I have from time to time sent
you some seeds of our plants but, as it was generally only a few species that I sent
at a time, I haven't advised you that they had been sent. Nevertheless I hope they have arrived.
Today I allow myself to send you a list of plants that I should like to obtain for
my establishment.
You will observe that almost without exception they are plants useful in medicine,
rural economy or industry and because I am trying to complete my collections of this
kind as much as possible, and I hope you will do your best to assist my efforts by
sending seeds (or living plants) of the species listed that you have under cultivation.
Any others of the same kind but not named in my list would also be welcome.
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List not found.
Our seed harvest will be finished in a few months, and then I hope to be able to send
you a more complete collection than I have been able to do previously.
Please accept sincere and friendly greetings from
Yours
Ferd von Mueller
Professor Parlatore
I enclose some postage stamps for the children.
Now I remember that I wasn't you but Prof. Todaro who asked me for some, so I am sending them to him.
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Second sentence squeezed in at the bottom of the page, beneath the earlier postscript.