The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: [In connection with a little experimental culture which I am carrying out on the lands of the West Australian Pastoral and Colonisation Company, near Kojonup, I have lately been favoured with samples ...

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92.09.00d

Plant names

Andropogn Sorghum
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Cajanus Indicus
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Dolichos biflorus
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Dolichos lablab
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Dolichos lablab purpurscens
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Dolichos uniflorus
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Ervum Lens
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Euchlaena luxurians
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Paurcus
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Phaseolus Max
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Phaseolus Mungo
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Phaseolus radiatus
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Phaseolus trilobus
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Portulacaria Grandiflora
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Sorghum vulgare
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Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to R. J. Irving, 1892-09 [92.09.00d]. 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/1890-6/1892/92-09-00d-final.odt>, accessed June 4, 2026

Letter not found. The text given here is from 'Experiments in seeds', a letter to the Editor from R. J. Irving, West Australian (Perth), 19 September 1892.

[In connection with a little experimental culture which I am carrying out on the lands of the West Australian Pastoral and Colonisation Company, near Kojonup, I have lately been favoured with samples of the following seeds from Baron von Mueller, K.C.M.G., etc., etc., the receipt of which I gratefully acknowledge through your paper,

viz.:—

, P. radiatus ,

Typesetters' misreading of P. aureus?

P. trilobus , all varieties of P. Mungo …

Irving then gives information taken from '"Select Plants for Industrial Culture and Naturalisation," by Baron Von Mueller, K.C.M.G., etc., etc., (Government Printing Office, Melbourne), a book which ought to be in every library for reference and a companion to everyone interested in proper development of the agricultural resources of Australia'. The ellipses in the following text indicate notes from the same source.

and D lablab purpurscens

purpurascens?

…

(black and white varieties) and D. uniflorus …

…

(Andropogn

Andropogon?

Sorghum), …

…

Not in IPNI; possibly confused with Portulaca grandiflora? B91.09.01, p. 380 contains information on Portulacaria afra, using the common name, spekboom, that Irving gives in his letter, and also contains the comment, repeated by Irving, that the plant is the principal food for elephants.

…]

Irving concludes by commenting that the WA climate ought to be favourable to the growth of leguminous plants, and asks readers with experience of cultivating any of these crops to contact him.