The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: 12/7/81 ¶ ¶ It will be best, dear Friend, to wait until Dr Rudall has returned towards the end of the year. ¶ ¶ I do not understand how anyone there can speak of the unsuitability of my work on usef...

Document information

Physical location:

MS papers 37, folder 211, no. 609, Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington. 81.07.12

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Julius von Haast, 1881-07-12. 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/81-07-12>, accessed September 11, 2025

12/7/81

Es wird am Besten sein, lieber Freund, zu warten, bis Dr Rudall zurückkehrt gegen Ende des Jahres sein wird.

Ich begreife nicht, wie jemand dort von dem Unpassenden meines Werkes über Nutzpflanzen sprechen kann, wenn jetzt selbst eine deutsche Übersetzung erscheint. Es ist nicht eine Pflanze in dem ganzen Werke, welche nicht in gewissen Theilen Neu Seelands cultivirt werden könnte, u es wäre doch wohl zu viel verlangt, ein specielles Werk für eine kleine Provinz zu schreiben. Sie werden mit mir gewiss an die Bibelstelle von den Perlen und gewissen Vierfüsslern gedacht haben. Oder richtiger, Eifersucht, die in diesem Falle gar keinen Sinn hat, lässt mein Buch dort nicht aufkommen. Wie ich höre, wird das Buch reproductien in 3 andere Theilen der Erde finden, aber das nutzt Neu Seeland nichts, denn wenn es Ordentliches dort leisten soll, so brauchen Sie dort allein 2000-3000 Exemplare.

Hoffend hat sich Ihr Zustand bleibend gebessert.

Mit bestem Grusse

Ferd von Mueller

Hoffentlich sind alle die Ihren ganz wohl.

12/7/81

It will be best, dear Friend, to wait until Dr Rudall has returned towards the end of the year.

Rudall spent several months during the second half of 1881 travelling through Europe and North America. Before that, Haast had visited Melbourne especially to consult him; see M to J. von Haast, 17 April 1881 (in this edition as 81-04-17a).

I do not understand how anyone there can speak of the unsuitability of my work on useful plants, when now even a German edition is published.

B83.13.06, which was 'under the press' in 1881; see M to W. Thiselto-Dyer, 10 September 1881.

There is not one plant in the whole work that could not be cultivated in certain parts of New Zealand, and I suppose it would surely be asking too much to write a special work for a small province . You will with me undoubtedly have thought of the Bible passage of the pearls and certain quadrupeds. Or more correctly, jealousy, that in this case has no sense at all, does not allow my book to appear there. As I hear, the book will be reproduced in three other parts of the world,

As well as a NSW edition (B81.01.04) an Indian edition had appeared (B80.13.07), the German one was in progress, and M was urging a Portuguese version (see M to J. Henriques 31 March 1881 (in this edition as 81-03-31a)). He regarded the publication by E. Cooper (1876a) as an American edition (M to J. Hector, 15 February 1882 (in this edition as 82-02-15b), and he also held hopes of a new American edition (M to S. Watson, 29 October 1882).

but that is of no use to New Zealand, because if it is to do any good there, you would need at least 2000-3000 copies.

Hoping your condition remains improved.

With best greetings

Ferd. von Mueller.

It is to be hoped all yours are quite well.