Ferdinand von Mueller

Private

19/4/94.

You are probably right, dear Mr Gill, in regarding the Box-tree of one Central Austr. region to be Euc. microtheca. It is a valuable timber tree, and forests of it ought to be raised in any country, the climate of which would allow of its growing.

Am delighted with the glorious success, which you have with the Date-Palm. I alluded to it, when coming back from Central Australia (Sturt's creek) in a lecture, at which H.E.

1

His Excellency.

Sir Henry Barkly was present,

2

B58.05.02, p. 95. Barkly's presence at the meeting of the Philosophical Institute of Victoria on 30 September 1857 at which M read this paper is recorded in Transactions of the Philosophical Institute of Vicictoria, vol. 2, p. xli.

as one of the most promising of plants on any oasis or moist place at our deserts. More than 20 years ago and later I sent Dates to the Mission-Station at the Finke River,

3

i.e. Hermannsberg Mission, NT. For an earlier similar comment, see M to W. Gill, 29 April 1893.

where this useful Palm exists now also in considerable quantity.

Am afraid, I have not acknowledged all your kind sendings, whether litterary or otherwise. I wrote 6000 letters or their equivalents last year with my own hand, so that I may easily miss writing any more, my work-hours daily are 16, Sundays 12, to allow attending evenings divine service.

Since the Rev Mr Kempe left the Mission-station on the Finke-River I very rarely hear from there. Now and then some seeds of any kind from the interior will be very welcome.