73 Chancery Lane
27 Septr 1884
Sir
I have the honour to acknowledge, with more pleasure than I can well express, the receipt of your letter of yesterdays date1 informing me that The Hon The Chief Secretary has given directions for the publication of a Key to the Botany of Victoria. Such a work if prepared in the manner in which I trust it will be, will bring Botany within the reach of the older children in the State Schools throughout the country. This has been my main object in advocating with some persist2 the production of such a book. At the same time it will be invaluable to more advanced Botanical students and I feel convinced that Mr Berry will never regret that I have been able to induce him to concur in my views. May I ask you [to] express to Mr Berry my thanks for his enlightened courtesy.
I have the honour to be
Sir
Your most obedient servant
Stanley Dobson
The Under Secretary
Please cite as “FVM-M84-09-27,” 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