18-52.] THE PHILADELPHIA FLORIST. 243 



(a- may appreciate the beauty of the objects amongst which he labors — (^J 

 rp But we must first state that this is a first class nursery, and has been °U 

 I the means of producing many valuable plants. The well diffused \ 

 Plumbago Larpentse emanated from this place, as many, we believe, 

 as 2000 plants having been propagated, worth $10 each — such is plant 

 business in the great Metropolis. Attached to this establishment, 

 which consists almost exclusively of conservatory and stove plants, is 

 a lecture room and library, with chemical apparatus, &c, for the use 

 of those employed in the garden ; and interesting debates are carried 

 on on all subjects of horticultural interest. Mr. Knight endeavors to 

 improve his men while attached to his establishment, and no doubt his 

 exertions are appreciated. Many splendid specimens of rare and val- 

 uable plants are to be found in the collection, and no one should visit 

 the horticultural establishments of this neighborhood without looking 

 in at the King's Road Nursery, Chelsea. In the immediate vicinity is 

 the garden of the United Gardeners' Society, where the Victoria 

 bloomed in the open air, and the Stenocarpus Cunnmghamii outran 

 the old Kew specimen. Alas, poor Kew ! how thy gardeners are 

 doomed to be outstripped in the honorable race of merit and skill in 

 cultivation. But we will close our second chapter on foreign horti- 

 cultural establishments; for we hear the noise that the first chapter has 

 made already gathering about our ears — for there is a gun from Alba- 

 ny, where the working gardener hailed from in the spring ; nothing 

 less than a side shot at the great "Hercules 1 ' himself — 



To the Editor of the Florist. 



Albany, Nov. 19, 1852. 



Dear Sir : 



In reading your article on Foreign Horticultural establishments, 

 I have been struck with your remark about the great reformer, the 

 Hercules of the agp, &c. This Hercules, as he is modestly styled, 

 has certainly done something that Hercules, the son of Alcmene and 

 Jupiter never did. He killed the Hydra of Lerna, suffocated in his 

 arms the giant Anteus, and other things — our modern Hercules has 

 neither killed or suffocated anybody that I know, but in his Ti'an 

 labors he may boast himself to have severely wounded the tongue of 

 Homer, with his Myanths, Spiranths, &c. Yes, Spiranth — do you not 

 hear at once how this name anglicised from the Greek Spiranthes, is 

 much more intelligible, much more easy to keep in mindl Certainly 

 it is more easy. Spiranthes, Spir-anthes, that is horribly difficult; 

 while Spiranth ! do you not hear how harmonious and plain it sounds 

 in English 9 ; Perhaps you will say that everybody has his own taste, 

 that some persons, for instance may prefer to call and write Maxil- 

 laria stapeloides simply, while some others may prefer the English 

 ;name "Jawplant," "carrion fiovver." "Degustibus non disputandum."^ 



CM 8 



