The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: Doubtless you have heard that in some parts of the mallee country the application of water has had the effect of causing a saline or alkaline efflorescence. There are places where a stratum of salt

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93.00.00c

Plant names

Asparagus
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Beta vulgaris
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Phormium tenax
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Salsola soda
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Tamarix Gallica
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Preferred Citation:

Nathaniel McKay to Ferdinand von Mueller, 1893 [93.00.00c]. 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/1890-6/1893/93-00-00c-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026

Letter not found. The text given here is the first of four letters in 'Salt lands in the Mallee. How can they be profitably utilised?', in Mildura cultivator, 5 August 1893, p. 5 (B93.08.03). The correspondent is identified here as N. B. McKay, the founding editor, who held personal control until 1898 ('Death of N. B. McKay', Sunshine advocate, 15 November 1924, p. 5). The letter is introduced by 'The following correspondence has passed between the editor of the Cultivator and Baron von Mueller, with respect to the utilisation and improvement of salt lands in parts of the Mallee country. The Baron has taken the matter up warmly. The initial letter was written by the editor, as under:—'

Doubtless you have heard that in some parts of the mallee country the application of water has had the effect of causing a saline or alkaline efflorescence. There are places where a stratum of salt—or earth largely mixed with salt—is found within three or four feet of the surface, and irrigation seems to bring it up. Certain plants, such as , , and will live on it; but for fruit-trees, vines, and vegetables (except asparagus) this class of land is, for the time, useless. Do you think the barilla-yielding plants—salsola soda, etc.—would do in it?

Barilla — an impure alkali produced by burning the dried plants of and allied species (OED).

If so, there would be a great local demand for the product for lyes used in dipping fruits for drying. Kindly advise, if you can find a few minutes to spare, and mention where the plants could probably be obtained. The Tonquin bean-tree seems to be a most valuable plant, the beans being quoted at 80s. per oz. Is it worth trying here?