Circular Head
25 May 1874
Dear Sir
Your letter of the 26th Ultimo,
came safely to hand a few days afterwards
I delayed replying to it, in order to obtain, the specimen of Fern Tree you required
—
I gathered yesterday a frond from the
, full of seed, but the damp weather not enabling the leaf to be dried, engenders
a vast number of minute insects, which I am afraid may consume the seed before it
reaches its destination
I will forward it per Schooner "Melbourne" to the care of the Owners, Messr Piggott
Brothers as soon as that vessel returns which will probably be in during this week.
— The history of the fern is to the following effect,
Some two years ago I wrote to Mr R C Gunn, informing him of the nature of the fern,
and he replied that my new fern had been known sixty odd years calling it
A few months elapsed, when Mr Stephens, the Chief Inspector of Schools, came to see
the fern when that gentlemen expressed doubts about it being Alsophila, stating that
the latter, had a kind of thorn or sharp spines near the base of the frond, whilst
the one on my farm had not.
I sent one to Mrs Du Cane the Governors lady at her desire and from Mrs Du Cane, ascertained
that the fern was supposed to be new in Tasmania, but growing freely at New Zealand,
where the Maoris made arrowroot from the pith, and was named
. It had been submitted to you, and named
I have five specimens now growing on my own farm 8 miles from Stanley,
from 1 foot to 30 or 40 in height — The tallest had been cut down by some mischievous
boys (41 feet) and 5½ inches in diameter. The stalk appears extremely rigid like a
bar of Iron, and seems to be built up by concentric layers of the base of each frond,
becoming incorporated with the stem so different to the
which is all fibre. I can if you like send you a small specimen so that you can better
observe it when growing, the one I sent to Hobart Town put forth several fronds soon
after planting. The Cyathea also only appears to have one single row of fronds in
all instances, whilst the
may have two or five according to habitat — the leaves in the frond too are differently
placed, growing more at right angles to the stalk than the other kinds, and are
darker
and
thinner,
the seed placed on the back in double rows, as you will perceive, 5 or 6 in each
row —
I found south of the Arthur river about 45
from this, a peculiar looking tropical tree or plant from 5 to 25 feet high — it
had large leaves, like Indian corn growing from near the ground to the top where the
fanlike leaves were almost touching between each leaf a small thread like stalk protruded,
containing the blossoms — also about 25 miles south, on a hill a tree about 80 feet
high two feet thick and very straight, having large leaves like the Musk. but with
whitish blossoms the corrolla divided into 6 segments, the tips turned back — and
containing
I think
6 stamens, the blossom was solid or whole at the base, half way up when the devision
took place, I never saw the tree before — also a shrub growing on a rise in an open
bottom, with bunches of white flowers, having a very delicious scent — none of the
three, have I observed in the colony before — I will endeavour to send you sketches
of the two last.
— You had better nominate me your collector, when I could forward you dried specimens
once a month from this district — outfit would cost about £20 a year in the shape
of provisions & clothes, I should be very glad to undertake the job as I have thank
God a passion for everything belonging to
Nature
and very little appertaining to
man
, or in plain language would rather look down from the summit of Mount Etna, than
from the Dome of St Pauls
Our communication with Melbourne generals
takes place once a week, or even less, so that there is no difficulty or delay in
forwarding anything, and the Masters & Agents are at all times very obliging, and
never yet charged me for parcels of specimens either vegetable or mineral
Your name has been familiar to me for many years, and always in a way gratifying to
those who can appreciate a useful life
I remain
Dear Sir
Yours faithfully
S. B. Emmett
