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96.01.00f

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Ferdinand von Mueller to The Australasian, 1896-01 [96.01.00f]. 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/1890-6/1896/96-01-00f-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026

1
Letter not found. The text given here is from 'Eucalyptus honey', Australasian (Melbourne), 18 January 1896, p. 10. It is dated to January as the latest likely date that it would have been sent. The item was reprinted in other newspapers, including Bendigo advertiser , 25 January 1896, p. 2, and Eastern Districts chronicle (York, WA), 1 February 1896, p. 5.
[ With regard to the export of Australian honey to England, it is much to be regretted that the returns are unsatisfactory, for Victorian honey is really good.
2
The Australasian 11 January 1896, p. 10 had reported:
The prospects for Australian honey are, however, still unfavourable. The consignment sent from the Hawkesbury Agricultural College, would not fetch more than 21s. to 22s. per cwt, although admitted to be a good sample. The report states that "even if Australian honey is pretty free from the eucalyptus flavour it still lacks the true honey flavour."
The Australasian had evidently extracted the information from 'Export of honey and beeswax', Sydney morning herald, 8 January 1896, p. 4, which included the comment 'Personal prejudice is said to be a great factor in dealing with buyers of honey, and until this is overcome beekeepers are advised to pay more attention to shipments of beeswax than of honey.'
Baron von Mueller has pointed out to us that honey which, on account of some slight eucalyptus odour, fetched a low price in London lately, has a special medicinal value, and has been found curative in diseases of the respiratory organs. When this fact becomes widely known in England, Baron von Mueller is confident that eucalyptus honey from Australia will be much sought after, and fetch the full value its producers are entitled to obtain.]