1888. | BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 161 
dollars ; this money to be used in payment for postage, printing and inci- 
dental expenses 
10, Address specimens and communications to the director of the 
Exchange. R. GEO. VASEY, 
Washington, D. C. Botanist, Department Agriculture. 
EDITORIAL. 
_ THE NOMENCLATURE of vascular plants seems to be in somewhat of 
aferment. The law of priority every one recognizes, and that mile-stone 
in our progress has been passed long since. The application of the law — 
is the question just now, and one that must be settled. The way of settling a 
itis of far less importance than to have it settled. Fixity is what we © 
Must have,and we must have it even at the expense of some of our most 
cherished prejudices. Shall the law of priority apply only to the combined 
generic and specific name, or to the specific appellation as well? All of us — 
have prejudices, backed by very good reasons as well as sentiment, in favor — 
of one or the other of these views. But it will never do for us togo ahead 
Mm sublime indifference of each other. To what a chaotic state would 
Such a Proceeding lead? It is hardly the thing for a monographer to 
roth y study some group and publish his results in a paper in which 
Telationships are the chief thing, and names of very minor importance ; 
and. then for some catalogue-maker to hunt through the synonymy and 
sive different names to many of the plants in a publication in which 
names are the chief things. We must work together, or justi¢e will never — 
be done to those to whom justice is due. It has occurred to us that we _ 
could Teach some uniformity of action, if not of opinion, that would save 
American botany at least from the chaos toward which it seems drifting. 
Prejudice and sentiment, and the names of plants, are all of so much less 
Mmportance than uniformity that they ought to be laid aside for the sake 
# say Sort of an agreement. Would it not be a feasible thing to have 
18 subject discussed by the Botanical Club next August at Cleveland? 
me plan might be devised by which the opinions of all working bot- _ 
hay could be obtained, and upon this basis some mutual understanding — 
ght be reached. At any rate, a full discussion would do no harm. 
OPEN LETTERS. 
The Exchange Club. 
the ity attention has been called to an article of Mr. A. A.Crozier’sin 
chano, Dumber of the G i 
tionable This article did not emanate from the committee. 
