310 Notes and Gleanings. 



latable, and re-christen others ? for many of such names are at present a mere 

 jumble of uninteUigible sounds to those who are the oftenest called on to repeat 

 them. To prevent confusion, this work might be delegated to some tribunal 

 whose authority would by common consent be acknowledged and followed. 

 We once knew an ingenious laborer who remembered the name of the rose " Je 

 me maintiendrai " by assimilating it with the words "Jemmy maintain me ;" and 

 we have heard more than one philosophic nursery-man mourn over the loss of 

 time incurred in writing " Souvenir de la Reine d'Angleterre," five hundred 

 times repeated, when " Ajax " or "Ino" would have answered every pur- 

 pose. 



Further: something maybe said on the fitness of names. A flower that 

 would well become the name of " Blushing Bride " would make a very indiffer- 

 ent " Alderman ; " nor should we expect to see exactly the same complexion in 

 a "Vulcan" as in a " Venus." A large gooseberry might appropriately bear 

 the name of " Achilles," which would be far more euphonious and agreeable 

 to ears polite than such names as " Bang-up " and " Thumper," which exist 

 plentifully among this class of fruit. In this, however, as in other instances, we 

 would not advocate a change of names already established, — they are short 

 and easy enough, if homely or provincial, — but that future names be chosen 

 from a more refined vocabulary. 



Finally : we have seen it somewhere suggested, and think the suggestion a 

 good one, that newly-introduced species, the botanist's plants, should bear names 

 coined from the Latin or Greek languages, expressive of some prominent feature ; 

 and the horticulturist's plants, what we are used to regard as mere variations of 

 .species, should have applied to them popular names in our own language. The 

 names of the good and great ones of our own time, and of all time, offer for this 

 purpose a rich repertory, from which we might freely draw. 



These suggestive remarks are thrown out with all good humor for the con- 

 sideration of those into whose hands the naming of our plants and flowers usually 

 falls. There are many cries for reform just now ; and, among small things, it is 

 nowhere more needed than in our horticultural nomenclature. — Florist and 

 Pomologist. 



Digging up Horseradish. — Few operations in the kitchen-garden are 

 more slovenly performed than the above. As a rule, search is made for the best 

 stick ; then up it comes, no matter whether it be in the middle of the plot or 

 not. It follows that a portion of the stick is left in the ground : this, instead of 

 pushing forth one good stick, will send forth a branch of three or four spindly 

 sticks. All this can be avoided by a little extra trouble. Commence at once at 

 the beginning of the bed, and dig out a trench ; and store away all the sticks you 

 dig up, to be used during severe weather. Let there be a blank space remain- 

 ing between the bed and newly-dug ground, so that, when a further supply is re- 

 quired, the operations of trenching can be repeated. Now, if the crowns of those 

 sticks which are dug up are cut off about an inch in length, and dropped in holes 

 about fit"teen inches in depth, and at equal distances, you may hope to have good 

 horseradish. 



