l^ BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. • 



or one of them is known by six or seven names, it is very 

 puzzling to know what is meant, unless the scientific name is 

 known. 



Unfortunately, farmers are inclined to be frightened at what 

 they are pleased to call such "break-jaw" words. They can 

 fight acres of weeds, but dare not master a word of uncom- 

 binable consonants, when the use of such hard words is their 

 protection against fraud and imposition. Trivial or local 

 names grievously misled. At least seven kinds of grass are 

 called June grass, and not one of the tame grasses but what 

 is known by or rather called by from two to seven different 

 names. To make necessit}^ for the use of botanical names 

 perfectly clear, we give a few by which any scientific man, 

 the wide world over, whether he can speak a word of English 

 or not, will know just what kind of grass is meant. 



If we say Phleurn pratense, every scientist knows that it is 

 neither an Alpine species, nor meadow foxtail, but genuine 

 herds-grass. If we say Agrosfis vulgaris, it is known that 

 red-top and not foul-meadow which resembles it, is wanted. 

 If we say I^oe compressa, it is know that a peculiar species of 

 grass is wanted, having its joints so flattened that it will not 

 roll between the thumb and finger. So with the long list of 

 grasses, employing the botanical name, an order for seed may 

 be sent to the uttermost parts of the earth — provided grass 

 seed is sold there — and the order will be rightly filled. 



This may be a dry chapter, but like Hubbard squash, it is 

 good because it is dry. Its omission would be injustice to 

 our theme. 



To resume : a botanical name employs two words ; the first, 

 usually an adjective, is the generic name ; the second, usually 

 a noun, is the specific name. As the kinds of plants are 

 almost innumerable, they must be arranged into families, 

 genera, species and varieties, so that they may be recognized, 

 a division which is sufliciently comprehensive for the purposes 

 of this paper. A genus is a subdivision of a ftimily, a species 

 a subdivision of a genus, and a variety a subdivision of a spe- 

 cies. The whole subject may be illustrated by a single genus, 



