THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 147 



things sweetened. In canning, for instance, cane sugar is 

 usually preferred. Although cane and beet sugar may be 

 identical as regards the kind and number of the atoms which 

 form their molecules, it is quite possible that the atoms may 

 be differently arranged in each and thus give warrant for the 

 claimed difference. Another important sweetener is glucose 

 made from the starch of corn. This is used extensively in 

 sweetening soft drinks, in candy-making, cooking and in can- 

 ning. It can be produced much more cheaply than cane sugar 

 but is only about half as sweet. It seldom comes to the table, 

 but is quite as wholesome as the sugar ordinarily used and 

 probably more easily digested and assimilated. 



German Irises. — Certain ill-advised Americans, endeav- 

 oring to demonstrate their patriotism, are out with the sug- 

 gestion that the German irises should be renamed. It may be 

 recalled that during the war these same sentimental patriots 

 wanted to call german measles, "liberty measles," apparently 

 unwilling that even disagreeable things should bear German 

 names. Overlooking for a moment, the warped psychology 

 in the case of the measles, we may point out that the reason 

 certain irises are called german irises is because they are de- 

 rived from a species of Central Europe named Iris Germanica. 

 This species was long ago named according to scientific usage 

 which does not recognize sentiment as an excuse for changing 

 names. We may call the flowers liberty irises if we choose, 

 but the species will continue to be Iris Germanica. The pop- 

 ular appellations of plants may be changed at will, and doubt- 

 less many of the decorative plants with German names will be 

 re-christened to facilitate sales on this side of the world. It is 

 a foolish fad, however, to name plants after nobodies on either 

 side of the Atlantic. The great men and women of the world 

 may well have plants named in their honor, but in all such 

 cases a single word is sufficient to indicate the one honored. 

 When it becomes necessary to distinguish the one honored by 



