THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 149 



June till August. When the seeds ripen and the pods open 

 the plant is unique and beautiful. The seeds cling to fine silky 

 white threads and are then blown hither and yon. The com- 

 mon name of this pretty plant is silkweed. Seen in the woods 

 or in city gardens, it is much admired. — Mrs. Georgia Torrey 

 Drcnnan. 



Early Plant Collectors. — Every age, it seems, has 

 had its quota of objectors to the methods of those who gave 

 names to the plants. A century ago, Schleiden, who with his 

 friend Schwann gave the cell theory to the world wrote as 

 follows: "Most people of the world, even the most enlight- 

 ened, are still in the habit of regarding the botanist as a dealer 

 in barbarous Latin names, as a man who gathers flowers, 

 names them, dries them, wraps them in paper, and all of whose 

 wisdom consists in determining and classifying this hay which 

 he has collected with such great pains." This certainly has a 

 familiar sound. One is inclined to wonder if another century 

 hence there will still be room for such complaints. 



Colchicum and Crocus. — Just as the first leaves begin 

 to drift down from the trees in autumn, there spring up, in the 

 gardens of the knowing ones, a host of crocus like blossoms 

 that continue to appear for a month or more. These are blos- 

 soms of various species of Crocus and Colchicum, all of which 

 pass under the general name of autumn crocuses. One would 

 never imagine from a reading of American catalogues that 

 there are a large number of crocuses that bloom in autumn but 

 the fact is, that possibly half of the species in this large genus 

 Lave this habit. Many kinds are cultivated on the other side 

 of the Atlantic and the practice may well be taken up here. 

 When once planted the species may be depended on to improve 

 for years. They may be had in various hues of white, yellow, 

 blue, and purple and must be planted very early in autumn 

 if one would have blooms the first year. Very similar to the 

 crocuses and blooming at the same time, are the various species 



