196 A LITTLE GARDEN THE YEAR ROUND 



their devotion. This is less evident nowadays 

 than it was a few years ago, although in Colo- 

 nial times not to know the name of every 

 flower or herb in the garden was to indicate a 

 tremendous flaw in one's education, an igno- 

 rance not to be condoned. One need not know 

 that the Quince is Cydorda vulgaris or that 

 Mignonette is Reseda odorata, but not to 

 know that the Quince is Quince or that the 

 Mignonette is Mignonette is misfortune in- 

 deed to the gardenmaker who expects to get 

 any true enjoyment out of his garden. There 

 is, of course, a strong appeal in the mere pleas- 

 ant vision of things ; but how much more pleas- 

 ure in understanding them! Names were in- 

 vented for a purpose — even Latin ones! — and 

 every one who professes or who exhibits the 

 slightest interest in gardening will appreciate 

 the wealth of interest a closer attention to 

 plant lore and botany will disclose. Now and 

 then we meet with the type of person who calls 

 every sort of a flower either a Rose or a Pink, 

 but even that is better than to have a flower 

 described as "the yellowish flower with vel- 

 vety brown center" or "the plant that looks 

 like a phonograph horn," which leads you to 



