National and Educational Interests. 129 



chinery, no new law. It is in every way feasible and practi- 

 cable, and no doubt a mere petition to the Secretary of Agri- 

 culture by the leading horticultural organizations would effect 

 its execution. On the other hand, it is probable that Con- 

 gress w^ould never pass the laws proposed. If they should 

 exist, they could never be enforced, and they would be so 

 cumbersome, circuitous and tedious as to fall of their own 

 weight ; and it should be borne in mind that all special pro- 

 tection is likely to increase prices of the protected article to 

 such an extent as to greatly lessen its sale or to impose unne- 

 cessary burdens upon the planter." 



Nomenclature. Discussions of nomenclature of varieties re- 

 ceived considerable attention during the year. The proper 

 naming of varieties must precede any attempt to secure legal 

 protection for the varieties, and the subject therefore has a 

 great impprtafice beyond the more immediate one of avoiding 

 confusion and educating the popular taste. Two distinct en- 

 deavors are commonly confounded under the discussions of 

 nomenclature. Nomenclature proper has to do with the form 

 and character of the name, and does not consider the plant to 

 which the name is applied. The labors of the American Po- 

 mological Society, which are now well known, and those of 

 the committee on nomenclature of the horticulturists of the 

 experiment stations* are good examples in point. The other 

 movement is one to determine synonymy, or the different 

 names under which a variety or species passes. It considers 

 the plant rather than the name. Concerted effort in determi- 

 ning the synonymy of plants has been reached at last by the 

 Society of American Florists, and its last reportf contains a 

 good list of synonyms. The experiment stations early be- 

 gan working in the same line with vegetables. 



There is a perceptible gain apparent throughout the country 

 in the furtherance of a revised and modest nomenclature for 

 all varieties. The movement is necessarily one of slow growth 

 and its promoters must not expect too early results. The 

 movement is also spreading somewhat in Europe, although 

 mor-e slowly than in this country, and it is only in certain classes 

 of ornamental plants that definite reform has been attempted. 

 The following rules for the naming of orchids, adopted recently 



*. Annals Hort. 18S9, 78. 

 fRep. 1890, Append, v. 



