94 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[March, 



Americans, who, for want of something new, take 

 old-named varieties of Pelargoniums, and re- 

 christen them, not in honor of royalty, but the 

 nearest approach they can make to it. For in- 

 stance. Lady Washington, Gen. Grant, Double 

 Gen. Grant, &c. In double Bouvardias they have 

 done precisely as the English." 



[From the tenor of our correspondent's remarks, 

 it seems he understood us to ridicule the naming 

 of plants after distinguished personages. We have 

 read over again what we wrote about Panax Vic- 

 toria, and cannot imagine how he derived that 

 impression. Our intention, and, we think, our ex- 

 pression, was that when our English friends felt 

 they had something worthy of general regard, they 

 gave it a distinguished name, and we took it simply 

 as an additional warrant that the plant was worthy 

 when so named. We have no objection to distin- 

 guished names. — Ed. G. M.] 



Origin of the name Persimmon. — " G." says : 

 " The European Diospyros Lotus, or date-plum, is 

 called Pishamin in Chambers' Cyclopoedia, Art., 

 Date Plum. This word seems to be suspiciously 

 like Persimmon, but the books say the latter is an 

 Indian (American) word." 



[European encyclopoedists are not as careful in 

 many cases as one should expect from the preten- 

 sions of such works, and we doubt whether " Pisha- 

 min" was ever applied to the Diospyros Lotus. 

 Some author, Parkinson, it runs in our mind, tells 

 that Captain John Smith brought some of our 

 kind, Diospyros Virginiana, to Queen Elizabeth, 

 and told her the Indians called them " Pashimin." 

 Persimmon seems to have been a modern im- 

 provement on the original word. At any rate it 

 fixes the origin of the name, whatever should be 

 its orthography, and Chambers must be wrong. — 

 Ed. G. M.] 



Horticultural Societies. 



COMMUNICATIONS. 



SPECIAL PREMUIMS OF THE MASSACHU- 

 SETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



BY B. 



In your magazine for February, commenting 

 on the Prize Schedule of the Massachusetts Horti- 

 cultural Society, you refer to the rule recently pass- 

 ed that no premium shall be awarded at any ex- 

 hibition except those authorized by the Society, 

 and question its wisdom. The rule is simply to 

 prevent the offering of prizes by tradesmen who 

 seek to advertise some especial novelty in this 

 way, and to put an obstacle in the way of having 

 the exhibitions used for advertising purposes. 

 The various awarding committees have the 

 authority to award gratuities at any exhibition to 

 any worthy exhibit which does not compete for a 

 stated prize named in the schedule, and this has 

 been the custom for years. Quite a large sum is 

 expended in this way each year, at the discretion 

 of the committees, so you will see that the Society 

 accomplishes just what you consider to be the 

 proper method. Naturally the Society has had 

 the benefit of long experience as to the best man- 

 ner of making awards, and its system is un- 

 questionably the wisest and most equitable of any 

 adopted by similar Societies in this country. 



[This puts the matter in a very different light. 

 The Society is undoubtedly right in regard to 

 these "special" premiums. The misunderstand- 

 ing arose from the Society calling "gratuities" 

 what the Pennsylvania Society calls " special pre- 

 miums." What in Boston are called special pre- 

 miums are " trade premiums " here. — Ed. G. M.] 



FLORAL NOTES FROM NEW ORLEANS 

 EXHIBITION. i 



BY M. H. LESTER. 



At Horticultural Hall the principal regret is 

 that Prof. Tracy was obliged to leave to attend to 

 other business ; not, however, without leaving an 

 indelible mark behind him. The success of the 

 Horticultural department is assured, whatever 

 may overtake any other portion of the Exposition. 



The most conspicious object in the building is a 

 splendid Cocos nucifera, about 20 feet high, and 

 in fruit. Nearly opposite, on the other side of" 

 the fountain, is a Cereus giganteus, 20 feet high, 

 with several smaller Cocos, Oreodoxia regia 

 Musa sapienta, and some large Ficus and Cycas 

 revoluta ; and to crown all a beautiful specimen 

 of Phoenix dactylifera. I think it is the most 

 beautiful part of the whole concern. 



The greenhouse department is all hung around 

 with Orchids, Mexican. Central American, and 



