Document information

Physical location:

85.01.00c

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to William Johnson, 1885-01 [85.01.00c]. 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//letters/1880-9/1885/85-01-00c-final.odt>, accessed June 17, 2026

1
Letter not found. The text given here is from the discussion of mulga (Acacia aneura) in a report of a paper by Samuel Dixon on 'Some indigenous shrubs of South Australia suitable for cultivation as fodder', read to a meeting of the Royal Society of South Australia on 3 February 1885 (South Australian register, 4 February 1885, p. 7). The text is dated to January 1885 as the last date on which such a request could have been made to M. It is assumed that M's report went to Johnson, but it may have been addressed to Dixon.
[With the view of getting precise and reliable information as to the properties of the scrub in question, a sample of it was forwarded to Mr. William Johnson, the analytical chemist for the Victorian Government, who further submitted it to Baron von Mueller, the Victorian Government Botanist, and it affords considerable satisfaction to give you an extract from the report of Mr. Johnson as to the value of mulga:— 'Examined chemically it has been found to contain a large quantity of starch and gum, together with albuminous bodies and other constituents common to all vegetables. It is destitute of any poisonous properties, and, viewed as an article of food, must be very nutritious to all animals eating it. The mineral constituents amount to 2 per cent., and consist of carbonates of lime and potash, together with sulphates and chlorides, all very useful in the animal economy.' Baron von Mueller's report is purely confirmatory of the above and need not be repeated.]