Notes and Gleanings. 309 



Horticultural Nome.nxlature. — " What's in a name ? " is a question 

 that has often been raised, and doubtless as often settled, — at least to the satis- 

 faction of the questioner. Now, whether taken from the political, literary, social, 

 or commercial point of view, there is, we apprehend, much in a name ; and, if 

 we descend from the general to the particular, we fancy, that, from a horticultural 

 point of view, it is not a matter of indifference. True it is that our greatest poet 

 has said, — 



" A rose by any other name would smell as sweet ; " 



but we take leave to doubt whether it would always seem as fair. We have 

 observed that certain names at once take hold of the public, are in every one's 

 mouth, and make the novelty popular from- the beginning : whereas, in other 

 instances, the reverse of this is the case ; the high qualities of the novelty 

 require knowing to make the name popular. 



If we look back on the past, or take the existing nomenclature of plants, we 

 find much that is incongruous and in bad taste. Botanists and horticulturists 

 have alike erred here. The former have transgressed by adopting a frightful 

 terminology, by compounding words of different languages, and by applying 

 words which do not correctly interpret facts. As an instance of the latter, the 

 word " coccinea " (scarlet) is often applied to things crimson ; " coerulea " (blue), 

 to purple ; and "alba" (white), to things which would hardly pass as such in the 

 murky atmosphere of the sootiest towns. The horticulturist, even of our own 

 time, too often gives the reins to fancy ; and, after reading some of our plant- 

 catalogues, one would almost think that the days of bright blue roses and lus- 

 cious out-of-door grapes had at length arrived. It may be pleasant enough, 

 and sometimes temporarily profitable, to give the reins to fancy, when the prac- 

 tice not only amuses the mind, but at the same time fills the pockets of the per- 

 former. But there is a large and increasing class of amateur-gardeners in the 

 community, matter-of-fact people, to whom' this method of proceeding is ob- 

 noxious. There is delusion in it. The purchaser acts, hopes, realizes, and is 

 disappointed. The object has not fairly answered to the character given of it. 

 We do not accuse the giver of these highly-colored names of wilful exaggera- 

 tion. The culture of flowers is not exactly that matter-of-fact occupation which 

 some would represent it to be. There is poetry in it, and the ruddy glow of 

 imagination will often unconsciously tinge the objects over which it delights to 

 hover ; but, if the names are applied with a poet's license, the descriptions should 

 at least be precise, definite, and truthful. If horticulture is to become a science 

 to the few, and remain a source of recreation to the many, its votaries must 

 remember, that even in poetry, and certainly in actual life, the imagination must 

 be restrained within due bounds, or the result will be neither intelligible nor 

 satisfactory. 



But these are not the only points on which reform is needed in the nomencla- 

 ture of plants and flowers. Where is the cultivator who would not rejoice to see 

 the long French names of roses and other plants reduced to a state in which they 

 might be spelt, pronounced, and understood by all .-• Could not the nursery-man 

 into whose hands these novelties first pass translate such names as are trans- 



