1895.] ESSAYS. 89 



native shrubs as well as the trees for cultivation. I have made great 

 use of Mr. Jackson's list of the plants of the county, for several 

 years past, and I feel greatly indebted to him for his contribution to 

 us in the works of that kind, and I think as all the rest of you do. 



Mr. Watts. Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen, — There is 

 one thing my attention was called to in the essay, and that was, when 

 he made the remark that people at present don't seem to understand 

 as much about the flora of the country as the people of the old times 

 did ; and he accounted for it in the way that they used those herbs for 

 medicines and for medicinal purposes. 



Indeed, I can well remember that about thirty or forty years ago it 

 was my lot to be cast with some of those older people, and my recollec- 

 tion dates back to that time. And, now, when I find any particular plant 

 that I cannot remember the name of, as the older people used to give 

 it, as soon as I can find out the common name of it, I turn to the 

 botany, and there discover its proper botanical name. 



It is very interesting to note in regard to common names, that if 

 there is any particular common name for a flower in one part of the 

 country, other parts of the country will call it by another ; and I tell 

 my children to impress these names on their minds, and then it is 

 easy to turn to the works of the botanist and discover the technical 

 name. 



I remember once one of the ministers of Cherry Valley drove up to 

 my house, and picked some flowers. The children he had with him 

 were studying botany, and when he rode up to the house, he called my 

 attention to a flower and asked me if I knew what it was. I told him 

 " yes." He said, " AVhat do you call it? " I said, " I call it ground- 

 nut. Do you want anything more?" He said, "I would like the 

 botanical name?" I turned to Gray's Botany and looked it over, and 

 found that ground-nut proved to be Aralia. He said that he had 

 never been able to find anyone that could tell him the name before. 



My boy picked up some specimens in our neighborhood, and carried 

 them up to the Academy, and the teacher who was teaching botany 

 there could not tell him the name of it. The boy knew it was wild 

 ginger and there was no reason why he (the Prof.) should not know 

 what it was. He analyzed it, and discovered what it was. It is only 

 those who have hunted for wild ginger particularly, who would know 

 what it was. There is no one here probably, who has ever seen the 

 blossom of it. 



I believe in these discussions, and the bringing out of these ideas, 

 so as to make it interesting to the people. They must keep their eyes 

 and ears open and hear what is said, and then retain it. 



