312 Notes and Gleanings. 



We publish the following letter from an esteemed correspondent, whose 

 critique is eminently just : — 



Albany, March 19, 1868. 

 To the Editor of " The Journal of Horticulture." 



Sir, — I have read with much interest the article in your Journal headed 

 "Zonale Geraniums;" but, when I came to the conclusion of it, I was much 

 startled by the remark, " that there is considerable difierence of opinion, whe- 

 ther this genus or these genera should be known as geranium or pelargonium ; 

 that English gardeners are pretty much divided on that question." Divided on 

 what ? I am simply stunned, confounded, at this disclosure, and from such a 

 quarter ! "In this country, all the zonale, variegated and others, are known 

 under the head of 'geranium.' " This last appellation is rather more consistent 

 than the British one. If, however, British gardeners do not know any better, 

 that would not reflect much credit on their botanical knowledge. But what 

 crowns all, and upturns all my feeble notions, not of botany, but of common 

 sense, is, that it is only affectation to designate a plant by its proper name ; that 

 it is only of late years that an attempt has been made to change the name and 

 confuse matters. 



Now, I should like to know from your correspondent or correspondents, from 

 any place, when the name oi geranium has been changed iox pelargoniiun, ox 

 vice versa. Since some fifty years, I have more or less been in contact with 

 plants, gardeners, affected or unaffected botanists ; and I confess, to my shame, 

 that it is tlie first intimation I have had of such a change, if any change. In 

 my opinion, what has confused matters is not botanical affectation, but the inge- 

 nuity of the inventors. I use this paraphrase not to affect too much bluntness 

 in calling things by their proper names ; otherwise I would be more explicit. 

 Your correspondent says, " All the zonale, variegated and scented, are all known 

 under the name of 'geranium ; ' " but are they geraniums proper for that reason .'' 

 No : no more here than in England, or anywhere else, where the same confusion 

 exists, and from the same cause. 



What ! is it affectation to call things by their proper names ? Is it affecta- 

 tion to call a pelargonium, pelargonium .'' 



I resume, and insist that there is no affectation in saying that a geranium 

 proper is very different from a pelargonium /^'^T/J^r. Geraniums, as ornamental 

 plants, are very little known, and less cultivated ; they are all, or mostly all, her- 

 baceous, perennial, biennial, or annual plants: whereas pelargoniums are nearly 

 all shrubby plants ; at least, the kinds we cultivate, such as P. zonale, P. inqui- 

 onans {Ciconium zonale, Cor. Ciconium inqidnans, Andriiis). I abridge my 

 reflections, and remain yours very respectfully. L. Menard. 



The gardener of Mrs. T. W. Ward of Canton, Mass., has kindly communi- 

 cated the treatment by which he has so successfully bloomed Bougainvillea 

 spectabilis : — 



" The following method of cultivation I have found to be very successful : 

 As soon as the plant is done flowering, it should be cut back to within a few 

 joints from where it started the previous year; then taken out of its pot, part of 



