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THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[August, 



Botanical Club of the American Associa- 

 tion FOR THE Advancement of Science. — Hor- 

 ticulture derives so much aid from botanical 

 science that whatever passes as botanical merely, 

 has still an interest for the intelligent horticulturist. 

 These will be glad to know that the Botanical 

 Club, formed a few years ago in connection with 

 the American Association, proved so great a suc- 

 cess the last year, that its meeting again at Ann 

 Arbor this season is looked forward to with a great 

 deal of pleasure. 



The majority of Western botanists will be in at- 

 tendance, including Profs. Real, Bessey, Burrill, 

 Halsted, Bailey, Jr., Spalding, and many others. 

 The botanical excursions will be to the Michigan 

 "catholes," the pine region, and shore of the great 

 lakes. There will be no lack of opportunity for 

 the exercise of sociability. Many topics of direct 

 interest to horticulturists will be discussed, espe- 

 cially those relating to diseases of plants. The 

 American Association meets this year at Ann 

 Arbor, Mich., from August 26th to September ist. 



Judges at the Universal Exposition at An- 

 vers. — The Government of Belgium, under whose 

 auspices the great international exhibition in 

 Belgium is being held, kindly honored the Editor 

 of the Gardeners' Monthly with a position on 

 the jury in the Department of Horticulture, but 

 which his desire to remain home this summer 

 ■compelled him to decline. 



SCRAPS AND QUERIES. 



Prospects of the Forthcoming Meeting of 

 THE American Pomological Society. — Pro- 

 fessor Beal writes : " The people of Michigan 

 are making a good deal of stir about the Ameri- 

 can Pomological Society which is to hold a 

 meeting at Grand Rapids, on the 9th, loth, 

 and nth of September. Every week brings 

 some news from other States, showing their in- 

 terest in the greatest meeting of the kind ever 

 promised in the West. There will be a hall 100 x 

 100 feet, devoted to exhibits. The evening ad- 

 dresses will be held in the best opera house. One 

 of these addresses is on Injurious Insects, by Prof. 

 A. I. Cook, the other on Parasitic Fungi, by Dr. 

 C. E. Bessey, of Nebraska. There can be no dan- 

 ger of crowding at the hotels, the rates of which 

 will be low. There will be an opportunity after 

 the meeting, for members interested, to visit several 

 fruit regions of Michigan as well as the Agricul- 



tural College. The topics for discussions are 

 selected with great care and are such as cannot 

 fail to interest wide-awake pomologists. An un- 

 usually long list of able persons have promised to 

 take part in the proceedings. We expect to see 

 you, Mr. Editor, and a large number from your 

 city." 



The Work of the American Association 

 OF Florists.— Mrs. J. S. R. Thomson, Spartans- 

 burg, S. Carolina, says : " I am very anxious to 

 be satisfied on several subjects, and woman-like, 

 don't well know where to begin or where to leave 

 off. 



1st. I would like to know the drift and scope of 

 the work of the approaching convention of Ameri- 

 can Florists in Cincinnati in August next. 



2d. Are ladies to be admitted as members (by 

 ladies I mean those that are in the business of 

 buying and selling florist supplies), either active 

 or honorary. I have had several circulars sent 

 me, and notice one or two ladies enrolled. I sent in 

 an inquiry as to my eligibility for membership, 

 and have had no reply, and as 1 — and perhaps 

 others — would like to understand the matter, we 

 would be glad to have Prof. Meehan tell us all 

 about it. 



3d. I would like to know if they intend to take 

 up the proper nammg and classification of plants, 

 as the Narcissus Association did in England, and 

 made a standard for the correct placing of differ- 

 ent sections. I was much enlighted by a catalogue 

 from an Irish firm (kindly sent me by the Editor 

 of Gardeners' Monthly), by his accepting and 

 using said rules, and thought how advantageous it 

 would be to have American florists ruled in the 

 same way. 



I recently received from a very prominent firm 

 25 bulbs labelled Amaryllis formosisima, and felt 

 deeply grieved that they were not the bulbs I had 

 always known as A. formosisima, and think with 

 Mr. Krelaage (in April Gardeners' Monthly) 

 that 1 must have had sent me Sprekelias glauca 

 instead of those 1 desired. 1 admire the ones re- 

 ceived, but want always to receive a bulb under 

 its true name. 



[So far as we know, women in business as 

 florists, and there are a considerable number in the 

 United States, stand before the Association on pre- 

 cisely the same footing as men. The suggestion 

 in regard to nomenclature, and the classification 

 of florists' flowers, is a very useful one, and will no 

 doubt have due consideration from the Association. 

 —Ed. G. M.] 



