Ferdinand von Mueller

1

The letterpress copy-books in which this MS is located contain copies of typed outgoing letters. Hilgard has signed this copy. The text has been corrected in places by hand.

April 20th, 1896.

Baron F. von Mueller,

Melbourne, Australia.

My dear Sir:

Yours of March 7th,

2

See M to E. Hilgard, 7 March 1896.

including seeds of

Atriplex Semibaccatum

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, came duly, and I was at first a little startled to see the difference in your seeds and ours. But on closer examination we find, that the presence or absence of wings is a mere varietal mark characterizing about half of our seed; as you will have seen from the sample enclosed in my letter containing the same, which must have crossed yours in mid-ocean.

3

Probably E. Hilgard to M, 26 March 1896, of which only a published extract has been found in which, however, there is no mention of seed being enclosed with the letter.

I am very glad to be relieved from the necessity of having to make a correction in the name of the plant we have distributed so widely!

I have just ascertained that your "Salsolaceous Plants"

4

Nine decades issued individually; for details. see B89.13.04, B90.13.14 and B91.13.24.

are in the Academy Library in the City; whether complete or not, I do not know. One of our botanical Assistants who makes a specialty of the […]aceae

5

The copy is very difficult to read and a plausible reading of the first part of this name has not been made.

of Western America will go over this week to ascertain the facts. It is just possible that your latest packet may not yet have come out of the Custom House: we have none of the work in our Library here, but it will the first on my next list.

A few days ago there came from the Department of Agriculture at Washington a little bulletin on "Saltbushes", substantially to the effect that we have native atriplices as good as the Australian, and that we should look after these first &c &c. The writer claims to have been in Australia, and to have seen the destruction of the saltbushes by the sheep, as he says is happening to the American saltbushes also.

I am inclined to think that the young man is slightly mistaken in the estimate placed by American graziers upon the native saltbushes; they are regarded as a mere pis-aller, while the A. semibaccatum at least is run after by our stock, even with grass alongside, although they prefer to have it mixed with something else in the long run. I have requested Mr Jared G. Smith, the party in question, to send you the bulletin for information, even though I question its correctness.

6

J. G. Smith (1896).

For I have seen herds of thousands of cattle grazing in our alkali plains, and have seen them devouring every spear of grass before they would touch the saltbushes. I will write for more information to the Sagebrush State,

7

Nevada.

our neighbour across the Sierra, to see what there is to this story. Meanwhile I remain