Office of Chief Inspector of Stock.
custom house,
Melbourne, June 15th 1895
Baron Von Mueller
Govt Botanist
Sir
I beg to forward herewith a sample of a plant known as the "Wild parsnip" with a view to your being so good as to furnish me with your professional opinion as to its properties and what effect it would have on cattle if partaken of freely. —
I have the honor to be
Sir
Your obedient Servant
G. Pentland
Chief Inspr of Stock
MS annotation by M: 'Rec. & answ 17/6/95 FvM'; M's letter not found. Letterhead includes a decorative crest of the Department of Agriculture Victoria with its motto, 'Industriae nihil impossibile' [With industry nothing is impossible]. MS accompanied by a Phytologic Museum of Melbourne specimen label filled out by M: 'Didiscus pilosus, Bentham'.
M had been asked about this plant in 1882 by the then Chief Secretary, James Grant. His reply (M to J Grant, 2 May 1882) was published in a number of newspapers (see list under B82.05.11), and in the Australian veterinary journal (B82.06.02). A similar request was made by the Chief Inspector of Stock in 1887, see M to E. Curr, December 1887 (in this edition as 87-12-00j), and with M's reply was also reported in the press.
Please cite as “FVM-95-06-15a,” in Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, edited by R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora†, J.H. Voigt† and Monika Wells accessed on