352 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[^November, 



flowers which commonly form the head of hy- 

 drani;e;i lilosnoins arc male or neutral, the female 

 or fertile ilowersheins: very small and not seen un- 

 less they are searched for. These fertile flowers 

 vary in numher with every head, and in this in- 

 stance have assumed uinisually lars^e propor- 

 tions. The laws which govern these varyin;: 

 proportions are in some way connected with nu- 

 trition, but the exact way in which they operate 

 has not yet been discovered. 



Bkcgau Tick.s vs. Beggar Lice.— l^Ir. Geortje 

 Woodrulf, Mount Airy, riiihulelphia, writes: 

 " Apropos of the discussion on Tumble Weed, 

 wliich shows how beautifully 'common' names 

 don't identify plants, I notice that in the August 

 number you speak ol the Cynoglossum as a forage 

 plant, aiul cull it 'the common Beggar Ticks.' 

 Now, I had known a certain weed as ' Beggar's 

 Lice' since I could remember, and 'guessed' 

 that wjis it. Turning to Gray, I found not only 

 that he used the two names for dillerent jilants, 

 but that he applied the name B. Lice instead of 

 B. Ticks to Cynoglossum using ' B. Ticks ' for 



Bidens, which is the weed I know. As both are 

 ' vile weeds,' I don't think many people will 

 wish to sow cither; but we again see tiio diHi- 

 culty of identilying plants by 'common names,' 

 even when they are as ' nice' as the foregoing." 



[In justice to Prof. Gray, it should be stated 

 that in the use of popular names he scarcely 

 "applies" them, but records the name as gene- 

 rally api)lied by otliers. It is almost impossible 

 to follow up ])opular names, and it is this fact 

 which makes botanical names so necessary, hard 

 though, confessedly, they often be. We were 

 asked the other dav for some information about 

 the " McDermott 'Weed." We had to waste 

 time in sending for a specimen, and received 

 our old friend from Mexico— Ga//«.sw;oa parviflo- 

 f-a — with the information that it " first appeared 

 on the ground of a Mr. McDermott." Now we 

 know that it has been abundant around that 

 very spot for thirty years, and how much longer 

 we do not know, so that popular names, even 

 when they are supposed to help popular history 

 are of no Value at all. — Ed. G. M.] 



HORTICULTURAL fSoCIETlES. 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



The Nashville Meeting of the American 

 PoMoi.OGiCAL Society in 1879.— J., Harvest 

 Home, Tenn., writes : 



"The Editor hardly does justice to himself in 

 his note on the meeting in Baltimore. It was 

 evident that only for the warm terms in which 

 he spoke of the Southern people and the pros- 

 pects of Southern Pomology and Horticulture, 

 would the meeting have so unanimously agreed 

 to go there, and I am sure in this you will have 

 earned the grateful regards of the whole Southern 

 people." 



The Editor deserves no special credit for his 

 speech on that occasion. It was only that he 

 had a recent experience, and gave that ex- 

 perience to the members. Much more credit is 

 due to those who in such numbers voted for it: 

 because they had to take on faith what the 

 " Editor " told them, and in this sacrificed their 

 own feelings as to Avhere they would like to have 

 the next meeting held, solely beciuise they 

 believed their Southern friends wished to have 

 the meeting South. Some friends think we have 

 staked a great deal in promising a good meeting 

 at Nashville, but we are well assured they will 

 not be ashamed of Avhat the South will do on 

 that occasion. 



The Paris Exposition. — Though nurserymen 

 cannot exhibit trees at this exhibition, there is time 



if Congress act, for other departments of nursery 

 or seed business. The impression that we are 

 behind other countries in these branches is, in 

 many respects, a mistaken one, and we hope a.s 

 much will be done as possible to set the world 

 right. The American Legation at Paris, will see 

 that any American who may w-ant to exhibit, 

 has justice done him — in case Congress in Octo- 

 ber appoint a Commission. Applications may 

 go through Salmon & de Stnckle, 23 Park Place, 

 iS^ew York, or Ostheimer Bros., Bank Street, 

 Philadelphia. 



City Plant Grooving. — A hoy takes the Silrer 

 Medal.— The London Journal of Horticulture, tells 

 us that the Seventh Annual Exhibition of Win- 

 dow Plants grown within the city was held on 

 the 13th in.«*t. in the gardens, Finsbury Circus. 

 The Duchess of Teck, who wa-s announced to 

 distribute the prizes, arrived early in the after- 

 noon. A sjjlendid bouquet was presented to the 

 Duchess by Miss Davies. The Duke of Teck, 

 replying to tome observations of the Lord 

 Mayor, observed that the difficulties of cultiva- 

 tion were great, particularly in a place where 

 bricks and stone had almost banished every 

 vestige of vegetation. Hero it was that the 

 influence of Howers was most felt. They all 

 knew their tendency to brighten the home and 

 cheer the sick. The Royal Horticultural Socie- 

 ty's silver medal was awarded to a youth named 

 Jarvis for the best plant. 



