Ferdinand von Mueller

1

Letter not found. The text given here is the second of four letters in 'Salt lands in the Mallee. How can they be profitably utilised? Mildura cultivator, 5 August 1893, p. 5 (B93.08.03). This letter follows N. McKay to M, 1893 (in this edition as 93-00-00c) and is introduced by 'The Baron sent the following reply:—'

I beg to advise that the sub-saline places in the Mallee country be sown with the best salt-bushes for sheep pasture. The immense success obtained in South Africa right up to the Transvaal with our

Atriplex nummularium

Search for Atriplex nummularium in

• This website
• Australian Plant Name Index

, and A. halimoides, introduced there by me, warrants the expectation that the most remunerative returns from the brackish soil, with the least requirement of expensive contrivances, would be obtained by the means indicated. These two salt bushes, particularly A. halimoides, occur gregariously on the lower Lachlan flats,

2

Lachlan River, NSW.

and there also the equally valuable A. vesicarium. The seeds (fruits) of these, lithographs of which are given in my decades of salsolaceous plants,

3

All three Atriplex species mentioned are in B89.13.14, Decade 2.

are copiously produced and easily collected, so that any person sent to the Lachlan salt-bush country could gather enough of such seeds within a few days for sowing an extensive area. For this operation the present cool season would be the best. You deserve infinite credit for the spirited manner in which, under much sacrifice of time, you push the distribution of important economic plants in your district. Herewith I beg to send you some few pods of the

Medicago scutellata

Search for Medicago scutellata in

• This website
• VicFlora
• Australian Plant Name Index

, a "burr-clover without burrs," from one plant of which I gathered at my dwelling 1400 seeds.