CHAPTER XXI 



ENGLISH NAMES FOR TREES 



Lord Annesley's book on his collection of trees and 

 shrubs presents us, as so many books do, with a whole 

 set of Latin names for each tree, no care being taken to 

 find an English name for any of them— not a difficult 

 task. This is merely following the conventional way of 

 botanists, who imagine that all men take the same interest 

 in Latin names as they do themselves, but the facts are 

 the other way. Most people are interested mainly in 

 the beauty and uses of things, and to them names in an 

 unknown tongue are of no meaning and often a source 

 of ridicule. These names may even be used in such a 

 way as to be a bar to knowledge, as is certainly the case 

 in our country. In France and Germany it is otherwise, 

 as their books on garden and woodland work give the 

 native name of each tree or plant, which does not bar 

 the use of the Latin name in its right place. Names are 

 symbols adopted for convenience, and of less importance 

 than the things to which they relate, as is shown by the 

 fact that many people forget names, while retaining a 

 clear memory of things. The multitude of Latin names 

 is an unnecessary obstacle to women and children, and 

 men occupied with outdoor work. On the other hand, 

 good English names often tell a great deal to simple 

 people, e. g. such names as Servian Spruce and Lebanon 

 Cedar. The Latin names are often hideous in structure, 



