Ferdinand von Mueller

1

MS written by G. Luehmann and signed by M.

Botanic Museum

Melbourne, 12/2/74

Sir

I have the honor to acknowledge your communication, received this day,

2

Letter not found, but it was doubtless the nomination of M as a juror for the International Horticultural Exhibition to be held in Florence, 11-25 May 1874, enclosed with a letter from P. Parlatore dated 23 December 1873 to the Governor of Victoria that Parlatore concluded: 'I hope that your important colony will thus be worthily represented at a gathering that everyone hopes will be a great success' (F74/1720, unit 736, VPRS 3991 inward registered correspondence, VA 475 Chief Secretary's Department, Public Record Office, Victoria).

in which I am informed through the kindness of His Excellency the Governor, that the Commandeur Philippo Parlatore, the Director of the Botanic Garden of Florence, invites me to act as one of the jurors at the international Horticultural Exhibition in May next at Florence. In reply I beg respectfully to inform His Excellency and yourself, that however much I value the kind feelings, which prompted the Commandeur, with whom I was, as a former colleage of his, in frequent communication for many years, to pay me this great compliment, yet I shall be unable to accept this invitation, in as much as my literary engagements with the venerable President of the Linnean Society for the seventh volume of our large work

3

i.e. Bentham (1863-78), vol. 7.

are such as not to admit of my absence from here for any long period, otherwise the labors of Mr. Bentham at his highly advanced age would be retarded. I shall write therefore to the Commandeur to that effect by the next mail.

4

See M to F. Parlatore, 24 February 1874.

As I am however most anxious that at least to a small extent this colony should take a share in this horticultural gathering of products from all parts of the globe, I would respectfully suggest that a modest sum, perhaps fifty pounds, may specially be provided and placed at my disposal for procuring yet timely within the next week or two some contributions for this Exhibition.

5

M's suggestion was rejected; see W. Odgers to M, 20 February 1874.

It is unnecessary to remark that here my objects in ever sharing in the labors for industrial exhibitions was to promote the resources of this country, and I may instance that thus from my own first researches for the exhibition in Paris

6

International Exposition, Paris, 1854.

as far back as 1853, when I had the honor to be one of the Victorian commissioners, arose the industry concerning the volatile oils of Eucalypts, which has, like many other resources of the colony, first been pointed out by me, and which assumed commercial dimensions for export. Although no longer commanding the use of a laboratory nor other facilities for industrial and many other former researches, I would endeavour to the best of my means to see our colonial resources now also represented, at least to a small extent, in Florence, should the means asked for be granted.

The Honorable the Chief Secretary