Document information

Physical location:

RBG Kew, Kew correspondence, Australia, Mueller, 1891-6, f. 69. 94.11.24a

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to William Thiselton-Dyer, 1894-11-24 [94.11.24a]. 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/1890-6/1894/94-11-24a-final.odt>, accessed May 15, 2026

24/11/94.
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Date stamped : Royal Gardens Kew 31 DEC 94, annotated in black ink by W. Watson : 1/1895 ( i.e. register number in Kew Inwards Book of specimens received ) and in red ink by [?W. Hemsley] : Ackd. 3.1.95 ( letter not found ).
Have managed dear Dr Dyer to send you some few seeds of the genuine Euc. macrocarpa of Hooker. I am sure, that the right sort was sent more than once before, but seedlings may at Kew when young have “damped off” or otherwise not have succeeded. We know not sufficient of the chemical constituents of the soil, on which naturally various Eucalypts grow; so the cultivated plants may perish for want of the proper nourishment, not to speak of proper degree of humidity and temperature.
Euc. miniata with E. phoenicea a woundrously beautiful tree is easily rased
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raised?
from seeds, but none of my European friends seem ever have succeeded to rear seedlings up. I saw the tree in 1855 & 1856
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i.e. during the North Australian Exploring Expedition.
only on peculiar stony soil, the chemical constituents I had no means fully to ascertain, and when [if] even only one chemical element is wanting in the soil of the cultivated plant, it would be apt to perish.
Mr Webb
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W. H. Webb of Albany, WA.
writes, that an ounce of the seeds of Euc. macrocarpa could not be procured for less than £5 I fully believe that.
Regardfully your
Ferd. von Mueller.