Ferdinand von Mueller

1

Letter not found. The text given here is from Melbourne International Exhibition, 1880-1881, Official record, p. 39 (B82.02.06).

Melbourne, 25th February, 1881.

To J. Cosmo Newbery, Esq., Superintendent of Juries and Awards.

Sir — In accordance with your request, I have inspected the atlases by Mons. Vilmorin of economic grasses and vegetables, and that of flowers, in the Exhibition, and beg to offer the following report: — One atlas

2

Neither of the atlases described by M has been identified.

consists of nine plates of pasture and lawn grasses, and thirty of select vegetables, each plate containing several sorts of grasses or varieties of vegetables, correctly named, all splendidly coloured, mostly by hand-painting, and all of natural size, and original. The leading sorts of grasses and kitchen vegetables grown in France (and, indeed, in use in most other parts of the globe) are there illustrated in very faithful representations, and in a very showy manner. The second atlas contains fifty plates of flowers, twenty-one of which are of bulbous and tuberous plants, arranged in bouquets, and comprising the leading species of flower gardens, grown in the open air in France, and generally elsewhere. Each bouquet occupies a plate, and consists of many miscellaneous species, painted by hand in gorgeous tints. The nomenclature is correct, as in the other atlas. The size of the plates is large double folio; the impressions are lithographic; the paper and typography are good in both atlases; and together they represent several hundred objects. These works are, à priore, intended as a pictorial display of the most prominent plants, of which seeds (correct as regards species or variety) can be obtained from the great firm of Vilmorin and Andrieux, of Paris. These atlases, which are brought out in France, serve, however, any cultivator or plant or seed trader as reference, and, particularly that of the flower bouquets, would form even a splendid festival gift anywhere. I am aware, from my own literary experience, how much care must be bestowed on the issue of such magnificent works, and what a large expenditure their preparation involves. I may add that these literary productions are under process of continuation. If it is my province in mere reporting to give a definite opinion of these pictorial exhibits, I would remark that, taking all circumstances into consideration, they are deserving to be placed in the first order of merit among articles of their particular class. — I have the honour to be, sir, your obedient servant,

P.S. — A portion of the plates of one copy of the work is exhibited in frames on the walls of Vilmorin's space.