1 2 Proposal to name Trees and Shrubs in Nurseries, 



Ribes aureum), Coreosma, Grossularia, Rebes, and Robsonia : under the last 

 is ranged our Ribes speciosum. The confusion arising from this incessant 

 change has so inconvenienced many genuine lovers of hardy trees and shrubs, 

 persons who love their gardens, but have not leisure to refer to botanical 

 works, that I have been induced to make this first attempt to form a Popular 

 Catalogue, with a few leading descriptions and directions for culture." _ 



The trite observations against changes of names contained in this_ most 

 illogical paragraph only show that Mr. Rivers belongs to the stationary 

 school ; but granting, for argument's sake, that the confusion exists to which he 

 alludes, what has his " Popular Catalogue " to do with it ? 



" The confusion arising from this incessant change," he says, " has so 

 inconvenienced many genuine lovers of hardy trees and shrubs, persons who 

 love their gardens, but have not leisure to refer to botanical works, that I 

 have been induced to make this first attempt to form a Popular Catalogue." 



From this it is presumed, we are to understand, that the " Popular Cata- 

 logue " is to lessen " the confusion " proceeding from " incessant change," 

 and to supply what could only before be obtained by " referring to botanical 

 works." Now, to do this, we should think the first object would be, to 

 endeavour to assign distinct names to distinct things ; and, consequently, as 

 species are more distinct than varieties, that they would have been named in 

 such a manner as to show that they were species. This is always done in those 

 botanical works to which, we presume, Mr. Rivers refers ; and, in addition to 

 this, the authorities for the names are always given. Instead of doing this, 

 however, Mr. Rivers has not only confounded species and varieties, but he has 

 introduced many of the latter hardly worth keeping distinct. Let us take for 

 example the very first genus in his catalogue, which is given as under : — 



" ACACIA (Robinia) 



1 amorphaefolia. ] 3 macrophylla, or grandiflora. 



2 crispa, 14 microphylla. 



3 dubia. 15 pendula. 



4 echinata. 16 procera. 



5 floribunda. 17 pyramidalis. 



6 formosissima. 18 sophoraefolia. 



7 gracilis. 19 spectabilis, 



8 heterophylla. 20 tortuosa. 



9 hispida, or Rose Acacia. 21 tortuosa longifolia. 



10 hispida major. 22 variegata. 



11 inermis. 23 viscosa. 



12 inermis rubra. 24 viscosa alba. 



" No 9. to No. 13. inclusive are the only shrubs in this family : they form 

 beautiful bushes, and also pretty standards for lawns : but the extremities of 

 their shoots require pinching oiFin June ; the wind will not then break them, 

 and they will put forth a crop of autumnal flowers. All the other varieties 

 are trees adapted to the background of shrub borders." 



The first remark that we have to make is on the choice of the name Acacia 

 for this genus. It is no doubt very generally given to it, as an English name : 

 but, as there is another genus called by botanists Ackcia, the second in Mr. 

 Rivers's list, would it not have had a greater tendency to prevent that 

 " confusion " which Mr, Rivers deplores, even if he did not choose to give 

 the first its universally adopted botanical name, " Robinia," to have made 

 choice of some of its other English names, as few plants have more popular 

 synonymes ; such as False Acacia, American Acacia, or Locust Tree. 

 Besides this, there is a glaring absurdity in giving the Latin specific names to 

 the popular English one ; for no botanist, since the time of Linnasus, has ever 

 called the Robinia, Acacia. With respect to the twenty-four kinds of Acacia 

 enumerated in the above list, there are only five of "them (8, 9, 11, 20, 23) 

 that have any pretensions to be considered as species ; the rest are varieties 

 chiefly of R. Pseud-Jcacia, but some of them, such as inermis riibra, pyra- 



