100 Rules for ^^ American^ ^ Pomology 



ed out of deference to his predecessors, and it is, in some cases, 

 to be regretted that he has not sufficiently done so. In hke 

 manner, the few great leaders in natural knowledge must and 

 will be allowed to ward off and to correct, from time to time, 

 all that may deform or enfeeble the prevailing system. They 

 must choose between names nearly of the same date, and even 

 between good and bad ones of any date.* A botanist who, 

 by the strength of his own superior knowledge and authority, 

 reforms and elucidates a whole tribe of plants hitherto in con- 

 fusion, as a Hedwig in Mosses, or Acharius in Lichens, ought 

 to be unshackled in every point in which he can be of service. 

 His wisdom will be evinced by extreme caution and reserve, 

 in using this liberty with respect to new names, but more 

 especially new terms ; and, after all, he will be amenable to 

 the general tribunal of botanists, and the judgment of those 

 who come after him. Few, indeed, are illustrious enough to 

 claim such privileges as these. Those who alter names, often 

 for the worse, according to arbitrary rules of their own, or in 

 order to aim at consequence which they cannot otherwise 

 attain, are best treated with silent neglect. The system 

 should not be encumbered with such names, even as syno- 

 nyms." 



This is sufficiently explicit to show the principles which 

 should govern all pomologists in naming fruits ; but, in order 

 to show the impropriety of a portion of the second Rule, we 

 will instance the following : — 



Suppose an individual to originate a new seedling fruit, 

 and to give it a name ; and suppose he did not deem it nec- 

 essary to give a full description of it to any pomological au- 

 thor ; we shall still further suppose that, as a nurseryman, he 

 sells his trees to various persons in all parts of the country, 

 under his favorite name : after a while, some one who pur- 

 chases and raises the fruit, sends a specimen to some soci- 

 ety, or editor of some horticultural paper, to be named and 

 described ; the society or editor, knowing nothing of its origin, 

 give it a name of their own, because, according to the rule. 



* I cannot but wish the very eminent Prof. De Candolle had assumed this privi- 

 lege, so justly his due, in order to do good instead of mischief to the nomenclature of 

 botany. But, with him, priority of date regulates every thing. 



