i885.] 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



155 



tell as well as anybody. And yet these evils have 

 their compensations. Here is a kind vcord from 

 one whom the Editor has never seen — a kind 

 word that compensates for many hundreds of the 

 little disagreeables inseparable from the editorial 

 life: 



" Allow me the present opportunity of acknow- 

 ledging my obligations to you, as Editor of the 

 G.^RDENERs' Monthly. For many years it has 

 been one of the greatest comforts and enjoyments 

 of my life ; selfishness may prompt the wish, but 

 1 hope that you and it may survive me." 



Sericographis Ghiesbrechtiana. — " Ignor- 

 amus " has been " moved to inquire which form 

 of expression is the correct one. The title reads 

 Ghiesbrechtiana Sericographis, but Sericographis 

 Ghiesbrechtiana in the body of the article in last 

 number." 



[" Ignoramus " has not quoted correctly, but it 

 is near enough that we may explain that there is 

 objection in some quarters to Latin or Greek 

 names because they are so hard, and some good 

 authorities in the Old World are inventing easy 

 ones. Sericographis Ghiesbrechtiana is consid- 

 ered a very hard word, so, in order that it may be 

 rendered simple, they have given us Ghiesbrecht's 

 Sericographis as an easy substitute. Individuals 

 among human beings have also in many cases 

 very hard names. The movement for reform 

 will perhaps extend to these as well as the 

 names of plants, and the advocates of the measure 

 may hope to secure an universal law that hereaf- 

 ter no fellow shall be borne down by a name of 



more than one syllable, unless he be of royal ex- 

 traction, when not over six shall be tolerated.] 



Plural Names. — "Inquirer" says: "As I 

 note your magazine endeavors to aid intelligence 

 in every branch that horticulturists are expected 

 to know something about, I would ask whether 

 the plurals you often use for plants are strictly 

 correct ? 1 notice you say cactuses, clematises, 

 funguses and so forth. These are Latin names, 

 and I think should be cacti, clematids, fungi, as 

 your contemporaries always employ them." 



[No objection to have these queries. There is- 

 no reason why the lover of horticulture should not 

 have as much general intelligence as the rest of 

 mankind. In the cases referred to, we were not 

 talking Latin, but Enghsh. We have taken these 

 words into the English language — naturahzed 

 them — then they must follow English rules for 

 making plurals as well as in other things. When 

 writing Latin we shall use cacti, and not cactuses. 

 —Ed. G. M.] 



Wants to Know. — A New York correspondent 

 says: "When we don't know we have to go to 

 headquarters to find out. A list of plants sent to 

 me by a customer to supply puzzles me. 1 have 

 managed by inquiry to get the most of them, but 

 I would like to know what the following are : 

 Sheep's Horns, Daddy Johnson, Coral Ring, Inch 

 Cactus, Dog's Snout, Irishman's Breeches, Aaron's 

 Beard, and Cut-meQuick." 



[We are afraid our correspondent has not yet 

 got to headquarters to find what he wants to 

 know.— Ed. G. M.] 



Horticultural Societies. 



COMMUNICATIONS. 



HORTICULTURE AT THE NEW ORLEANS 

 EXPOSITION. 



BY E. baker. 



That the New Orleans Exposition is now a very 

 great success cannot for a moment be denied. 

 Complete in every department — save one — it 

 offers a vast field for study in all branches of the 

 arts, sciences and manufactures. It is the freely- 

 expressed opinion of those who have visited the 

 great expositions of Europe and this country, that 

 in magnitude, variety, and tasteful arrangements 

 of the articles exhibited, this exhibition is superior 



to all. A month can be pleasantly and profitably 

 spent in contemplation of the great and varied 

 resources of this and other countries here grouped 

 with system and order ; forming a vast panorama 

 worthy of the attention of every American who 

 would know his country, and its capabilities. In- 

 deed, to miss seeing this wonderful collection is to 

 lose an opportunity that will not probably occur 

 again within the lifetime of the present generation. 

 But there is one department, one portion of this 

 grand display, that falls short of all others, and far 

 below the expectations of the thousands of visitors 

 that now daily throng the buildings and grounds. 

 This being the Horticultural department particu- 



