Ferdinand von Mueller

Easter 1896

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Easter Day was 5 April 1896.

Your genial and extensive letter

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J. Hooker to M, 2 March 1896.

has been most cheering to me, dear Sir Joseph, and it most gratifying, that you – altho’ now nearly an Octogenarian – you

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you repeated.

are in so youthful a vigor and spirit yet able to push on such most difficult work as the agrostographic.

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Hooker was writing much of the section on grasses for Volume 7 of J. Hooker (1872–97), a task he found very difficult.

May you long be spared with your unrivalled phytographic experience to carry on your researches and thus to furnish also yet a supplemental volume for the Flora of India.

Of those, whose researches far back into the first half of the Century in phytography and who have largely borne the burden, are left besides yourself only Agardh, Carl Muell[.]

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Obscured by the binding strip, as in all cases below except Du[char]tre, which is a doubtful reading.

and myself are left

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are left repeated

after recently Alphonse DC,

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De Candolle.

Du[char]tre, Baillon, Babington[,] Jean Mueller, Willkomm have passed away; all others now yet prominently working on our principle lines among the elder did arise only in the second half of the century . If I can claim to be among the few Nestor[s,] it is on the ground, that I commenced in 1839 my observations on the plants of the Dutchy

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Duchy?

of Schleswig, resulting in a complete elaboration of the Flora of its south-western region. My “Breviarium” was finished 1845 , but only published some years afterwards,

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Published in two parts: B53.08.01, B53.08.02.

as I left the University in 1847, to proceed to the dry warm Australia, being well aware that I should fall otherwise a victim to phthisis in the winter of 1847-1848. Thus then I shall celebrate my 50 years Doctor jubilee next year, if merciful providence will spare my life so long.

The long essay on the plants of the Elder-Expedition is at last nearly ready as I could only devote Sundays and Holidays on it, far more urgent work for the practical welfare of the colony pressing on me during Office-days. The share, which Prof Tate had in this joint treatise of course was much lighter than mine.

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B96.14.02.

When this letter will arrive, your will approach an other birthdays festivity of yours, for which, I offer my best felicitation. Your natal day is precisely the same as mine, 30 June, but yours is 7 years more.

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but yours … more written in left margin of back of f. 27.

I have the third Census of Australian Plants ready for the press. It contains about 200 additional, many hundred more geographic entries and copious emendations for authorities. The work serves also as an index to the Flor. Austral. and Fragmenta.

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I have the third ... Fragmenta is written in the margins on the back f. 26 and the front of f. 27.

The third edition of M’s Census was not published.