17/10/83
With sorrow do I hear of your indisposition, dear Prof. Tate, but hope that your powerful
constitution will overcome the ailing, particularly if you do not overstrain your
mental working power. You have also a kind Lady, to take care of you; so you will
doubtless soon be well again. When I was in the field, even under the greatest hardships
and privations, I felt well, though often much fatigued; but since I was confined
to my rooms daily for long hours, my health gave more and more way under incessant
writing work, and I have become so susceptible to catarrholic afflictions of the respiratory
organs, that I have had a violent cough for nearly a month, rendering my leaving the
rooms here as yet an impossibility. Also in respect to my health it was a cruelty,
to take the garden from me, which gave me pleasant outdoor-exercise with direct profit
to my researches also, therefore without absolute loss of time.
So soon as I receive the dried specimens of plants from your friend, I will write
again. I am just pushing the 9th decade to a close of the Eucalyptography and have
something done for the 10th, so that I can hope to have both out in 1883 yet.
I was not aware, that you had named the
after a genial host; I thought you called it in allusion to the river.
By all means, honor the Gentleman, who helped you; I always do so, to encourage them,
and to show a feeling of gratitude. I must have put the
with absolved plants, and cannot find the specimen now. The color of the fruit is
of importance in that genus. The
ought to be solely yours, as you found out all about it yourself.
I had just a letter from Prof Baillon,
in which he speaks approvingly of my breaking up the
.
From
him
, who has seen so much from all parts of the world, who dissects so accurately and
observes so well microscopically, any opinion on systematic arrangement comes with
the greatest of authorative force. The small
is a critical species; it must be examined in comparison with the various
forms
of allied species, the limits of which are imperfectly understood
You do my poor "introduction to teaching"
too much honor; the little book was merely intended for the first beginners, to be
followed up by other works, such as Balfour's various
or Henfrey's by Masters,
or Asa Gray's
or any of the real excellent works, which are not "behind the time". The xylograms
are good and ought to be a fair help.
It is of course absurd for a simple gardener, to attempt to compile without experience,
without critical knowledge and without any originality a book; but that such should
for a moment ever
compete
with the comparative cheap publications above mentioned, no one would for a moment
contemplate, as even they (the British &c) elementary works can be purchased in any
book-stall in Australia; but the issue of the volume of the Garden-Man
serves his purpose; just like the compilation of a Garden-Catalogue in book-form,
from plants
mainly
brought together by me in 20 years. Kew, Petersburg, Berlin indeed none of the great
Gardens spend their money in catalogues of plants, as such are at once incomplete
through loss and access, even if in the Melbourne Instance
now
all naming can any longer be relied on, as is not the case; or if even the systematic
literature in such mere "writing together" was correctly applied. Good labelling is
all that is wanted, and for that I left 3000 Iron labels with painted names.
I certainly will give you
every help
for your Manual of the S. Austr. Plants.
Whenever you commence, and want any missing species, a specimen shall be sent
at once
.
It is neither neglect nor wish of monopolizing, that prevents me to send more specimens
out to you, to Kew, to many other places. It is not done, because I have no leisure,
and altho' I have an Assistant and Junior, our time is usually taken up with the
multifarious
office-work, not to speak of these endless "exhibitions" (Australian, Calcutta &c)
which tax my time and resources severely. My being thrown out of the garden, puts
me also a long way from my Museum (Herbarium). Now the great Sonderian Collection
has just arrived by the Marsala, 38 cases under process of landing. An iron annex
is just under contract at my Museum-building, for the reception of these treasures,
for which I strove since
25
years! Now they come
too late
for
me
in life. However I shall put them up in order for access, all this involving much
extra-toil. So, be not angry with me, should I seem remiss.
Regardfully your
Ferd von Mueller.
I am glad to learn that you contemplate an other trip to Kang. Isl.
It will also do good to your health. The little herb, likened by you to
is
Lamarck, which has as an indigenous plant a wide range through the countries around
the mediterranean sea, and has found its way also to South Africa. If it was a native
with you, I should think, we must have traced it like
and some other mediterr. plants across from N. W. Australia. Nothing would be easier,
than the introduction of such a weed by "emballage". — Your specimens represent the
small state of first years growth; such I have also in my collection from S. Europe
&c.
