My dear Sir

If I were a minister of the Crown I should think it my duty to adopt some such plan as that which you suggest. But as far as I can see political men care only about their party quarrels, and I could not ask Mr. Farrer to undertake such a task as to interest the Government in your scheme.¹ He has often remarked to me on the extreme difficulty of getting anything new undertaken. I should think your best chance would be through Mr. Forster, who has I believe unbounded energy;² but I would suggest that you should simplify your scheme. You could state if you thought fit that I had aided you, and got others including Mr. Farrer and Mr. Caird to aid you in your valuable labours.³ I think that this would influence Mr. Forster. I doubt whether the Agricult. Socs in England would take any trouble about growing your vars. Mr. Carruthers reported to the R. Agricult Soc., to which he is Botanist, that in his opinion your attempt to raise a fungus-proof var. was hopeless.⁴ I am sure that you will believe that I regret that I cannot offer any assistance in urging the Government to take an active share in your work.

Believe me, my dear Sir | Yours sincerely | Ch. Darwin.