maintained in the present discussion. A few drawings will also 
be added to make clear certain points and to show comparative 
forms. 
NAME.—Every tree has one or several common names and 
a scientific or Latin name. Some of these common names are 
merely local, others have a more extended use. Some few 
names apply to totally different species. Thus, Cottonwood in 
Michigan is Populus deltoides, in Idaho and Colorado Populus 
angustifolia, in California Populus fremontit and in Kentucky 
‘Tilia heterophylla, While it should not be forgotten that in com- 
mon speech it is proper as well as convenient to call trees by their 
common names, yet, in view of the many uncertainties pertaining 
to their use, a scientific name is at times absolutely essential to 
the clear understanding of what is meant. Latin is the language 
in universal use by all scientists. No longer used by any civilized 
nation, it has become a dead language and consequently never 
changes. Its vocabulary and its constructions will a thousand 
years hence be the same as they are today. Being in universal 
use among scientists of all nationalities no confusion arises from 
the use of a Latin word. The Oak in Germany is known as 
Eiche, in France as chéne and in Spain as roble, but the Latin 
word Quercus is the same for all these countries. 
A scientific name as applied to trees consists of at least two 
parts, as Quercus alba; the first named is the genus and is always 
written with a capital letter, the second is the species and is writ- 
ten with a small letter, the two names constituting the briefest 
possible description of the particular tree. It is customary to 
add to these the name or an abbreviation of the name of the 
person who first gave the name to the tree, as Quercus alba L., 
the abbreviation standing for Linnaeus. Sometimes a third name 
is used, as Acer saccharum nigrum, referring in this case to a 
variety of the ordinary Sugar Maple. 
Genera which bear a relationship to each other are placed in 
the same family, the family name always having the character- 
istic ending—aceae, Related families are again grouped into 
orders, with the characteristic ending—ales. Orders are in 
like manner arranged into larger groups, called classes, and the 
latter into still larger groups, divisions, etc., each with its char- 
acteristic ending. Thus, Acer saccharum nigrum (Michx. f.) 
Britt, is classified as follows: 
—_ x — 
