THE PLANT WORLD 



A MONTHLY JOURNAL OF POPULAR BOTANY. 



F. H. KNOWLTON. Ph. D,, Editor, U. S. National Museum, Washington, D. C. 

 Articles and notes on any subject of interest to plant-lovers are solicited, and should 



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WILLARD N. CLUTE & CO., Publishers, - - BINGHAMTON, N. Y. 



Entered at the postoflfice, Binghamton, N. Y., as second-class mail matter. 



The delay in the issue of the May number was caused by an un- 

 fortunate error which necessitated the reprinting of the entire edition. 



We have received a number of letters recently from readers of 

 the Plant World, asking further information on various points sug- 

 gested in its pages. Please let it be known that the editor will be 

 glad to answer any and all reasonable questions that may come up. 

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* 



A LARGE measure of the educational value that might, in many 

 places, be derived from public parks and gardens, is lost from the fact 

 that the trees, shrubs and other plants are inadequately labeled. This 

 is particularly true in the District of Columbia. There are, it is said, 

 over five hundred acres within the city limits, devoted to public parks 

 and gardens, and a great number of beautiful exotic, as well as 

 native plants, are grown to perfection. It is the rarest thing to find 

 any of them labeled. Visitors are constantly asking the name of this 

 or that tree or shrub that happens to be in bloom at the time of their 

 visit. If they were properly labeled it would do far more than satisfy 

 mere idle curiosity; it might be the means of laying the foundation of 

 horticultural taste, and it would certainly give a new idea to many of 

 the value of our native trees and shrubs in beautifying the sur- 

 roundings of our homes. 



A proper label should give the common name, when one is in 

 general use, as well as the scientific name, and an indication of the 

 native country. In the case of trees and the larger shrubs grown 

 along drives, the labels should be of sufficient size and distinctive- 

 ness to be easily read from a carriage. When grown along foot-walks 

 they might be of smaller size, yet should be so distinct as to be easily 



