THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



59 



species. Subdivision should extend as far as any one finds nec- 

 essary. The geneticist needs to have definite designations for 

 much smaller groups than the ecologist or morphoiogist is likely 

 to be interested in. The makers of manuals should therefore 

 endeavor to produce books which will supply the needs of either 

 class of workers without misrepresenting the facts. If it is 

 necessary to have a more simple treatment of Crataegus than 

 that of Sargent, for example, it may be done in such a way as 

 not to discredit a large amount of careful work. The synonomy 

 which is so large a feature of systematic work should be given 

 a different significance. There should be some discrimination 

 between true synonyms which are names applicable to the same 

 identical organism and the names of distinct units which it may 

 not seem desirable to differentiate in a popular manual. — H. H. 

 Bartlett, in American Journal of Bota^iy. 



Value of Proper Planting. — How stingy people are 

 when it comes to home adornment. Some expect two o r three 

 little flowers to cheer up a 160 acre farm. They can't do it. A 

 man builds a fine house and furnishes it with costly furniture 

 and carpets, but the moment he goes out of doors he must have 

 the cheapest of trees and shrubs and a dinky little bed of flowers. 

 The home should be a picture set in a worthy frame, with all the 

 embellishments which art and skill can give it. — C. S. Harri- 

 son; York, Neb. 



Viola Pedata in Illinois. — Those who keep informed 

 on matters of nomenclature are aware that the bird's-foot violet 

 ( V. pe\data) presents two well-marked forms. The commoner 

 one, which has the name of Uneariloha, is lavender or lilac pur- 

 ple, while a rarer form, which, however, is considered as true 

 and typical pedata, has the two upper petals deep purple and the 

 lower petals much paler. It is commonly supposed, and so in- 

 dicated in the Manuals, that the true Viola pedata is an eastern 

 form that ranges from Connecticut to Maryland, but this is 

 clearly an error, for this form has recently been reported from 



