Document information

Physical location:

87.12.00m

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to David Martin, 1887-12 [87.12.00m]. 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/1880-9/1887/87-12-00m-final.odt>, accessed June 5, 2026

1
Letter not found. The text given here is from Bacchus Marsh express, 24 December 1887, p. 3.
[We have received the following note from the Secretary for Agriculture:
2
David Martin.
—With reference to the thistle forwarded by you to Mr. Pearson,
3
Perhaps A.N. Pearson, the Government Agricultural Chemist.
I have the honour to inform you the Government Botanist has advised me that it is the "Carduus pycnocephalus." It is not a perennial, and it can be kept in check by preventing the thistle from seeding. The thistle referred to is the one commonly called the "Italian thistle," and has a slim stem with small pink heads. As it is regarded as useless for feed purposes it should be of interest to landowners to know that cutting it when in flower will destroy it.]