W 1 N DFA LLS 



445 



310), has many errors of identification. A cursory ex- 

 amination suggests the following corrections ; but it must 

 be remembered that where there is no information given 

 beyond the vernacular name, we can only reason from 

 probability gained from the known use of like names in 

 preceding and following centuries : 



Pepones.— Probably seeding cucumbers. " A fruit which, when 

 ripe, is soft and without solidity— flaccid and tender."— Kyber's 

 Lexicon, 1553. See also Pliny, "A cucumber of excessive size." 

 Altrenajus and Pollux, "seeding cucumbers." 



Faseolum. — Probably a dolichos, possibly D. ntigniculatiis. In 

 1542, Fuchsius used Faselen fo." the bean, and as an alternative 

 name, Welch bonen, foreign bean. Albertus Magnus, 13th century, 

 describes the faseoli as a bean with a black spot at the hilum {D. 

 7inguiculalus). Roszlin, 1550, and Tragus, 1552 (Bock, 1546) use 

 Faselen for the pea. 



Dragontea.— Is this tragacanth? The dragantium of Vegetius 

 is so considered, but the dragonleia of the Italians was Arum dra- 

 cuncuius, L. See Dodon Pemp. 330. 



SOLSEQUIUM. — Not the sunflower, for this is an American plant. 

 Crescentius, 13th century, calls the chicory " Sponsa solis, cichorea, 

 incuba and solsequium." Solsequium was also applied to Calen- 

 dula officiualis in the i6th century. 



Ameum.— Probably A»inn niagus, L. The seed tornierly import- 

 ed from Egypt, and also grown in Germany and Belgiutu for mixing 

 with bread and foods. 



Nasturtium. — Not nasturtium (Tropaolnm majgus or minus), 

 but the cress, Lepidium sativum, L. 



Bardana. — If constant use of this name affords a clue, this is the 

 burdock, and not monk's rhubarb. 



Oi.iSATUM. — Alexandus, Smymium olusatrum, L. 



Apium. — Smallage. Celery is not recorded until much later, say 

 the i6th century. 



VuLGiGiNA. — Is this Asarum Eta opcrum, L., called by Macer 

 Asarum vulgaginem ? 



, Pastinaca. — Used oftener for the carrot than the parsnip. 



Blitum. — Propably not spinage, but Amarantus blitu7n, L., the 

 bletos of France, supposed to be the blitum of Galen. 



Cepas. — Not chives, but believed to be onions. " Cepa was for- 

 merly called unio, whence the French oignon," says Kyber. 



Cardones.— Probably the Cardoon, rather than the artichoke. 



In Charlemagne's time simples were grown universal- 

 ly, and were more valued than at present ; and hence, 

 herbs used more in medicine than for food appear in his 

 list, as well as the strictly food plants. To interpret the 

 list requires much more critical judgment than I am at 

 present willing to exert, but it is easier to throw doubt 

 on the interpretations of others. — E. Lewis Sturtevant. 



Horticulture in Schools. — The idea of introducing 

 the study of horticultural principles into the public 

 schools will, no doubt, be subjected to great ridicule. 

 Yet, why not ? The writer once asked a rich London 

 commission merchant why he sat shivering in his over- 

 coat in the inner office. He had a grate there, and his 

 clerk in the outer room enjoyed a good fire. "Ah," 

 was the reply, with a glance at the empty grate, "I 

 don't know ; I never did have a fire." And at my next 

 visit, he pointed with triumph to the blazing coals. 

 "There, you see I have taken up with your Yankee 

 idea. " This sort of answer is the only consistent one in 

 regard to the neglect of popular education in the princi- 

 ples of farming and gardening. They do these things 

 better in France. A decree was issued in January re- 

 quiring a certificate of aptitude to teach agriculture from 

 masters of the superior grade of rural primary schools. 



The ministers of public instruction and of agriculture 

 are pulling heartily together in this educational reform, 

 for reform it certainly is. 



Of course, it is not expected to turn out full-fledged 

 farmers from this or any other grade of public schools, 

 even were the teachers amply qualified, which, in most 

 cases, perhaps, they are not. But it is a great gain if 

 the pupils can be made to comprehend in their forma- 

 tive years the dignity and the scientific character of the 

 occupations of farming and gardening. When this is 

 done, we shall see less disposition on the part of farmer's 

 boys to drift to the towns with the aspiration to sell tape 

 for a living. If he did but appreciate the fact, the 

 agriculturist and horticulturist occupy the most inde- 

 pendent of positions among the world's workers. They, 

 of all others, need not become the prey of politicians, or 

 play a despised part in social and intellectual move- 

 ments. It is an encouraging omen for the future of the 

 French republic that its rulers are aware of this fact. 

 The American republic will do well to imitate its Euro- 

 pean sister. 



The one defect in the French decree is that its opera- 

 tion is limited to male schools, but doubtless the girls 

 will get their proper dues in time. " Let us make rural 

 life fashionable," says a French writer, "and the battle 

 is won." — Kham. 



Labels. — It is said of Peter Henderson that he would 

 excuse almost any fault, blunder or mischance in his 

 workmen, but was down with a sharp stick on any of 

 them who did not label the plants he was setting out or 

 potting. For two years I did not label my seeds on 

 planting, and the confusion, bothers and mistakes that 

 have arisen, have prompted me to turn over a new leaf. 

 For instance, there is a soft, sunny spot in my garden, 

 just right for seeds before transplanting. One day I 

 planted my Petunia hyhrida , grandiflora superhissinia that 

 I paid 25 cents for, and the few seeds in the precious 

 packet might have been put on the top of a lead pencil. 

 I was anticipating great things from my hybrida, etc., 

 but the spot was not marked in any way. In the mean- 

 time, someone had sent Uncle Jacob some Bull Nose 

 peppers, and down the seed went among my petunias ; 

 he, in blissful ignorance of my prior claim, intending to 

 transplant them afterwards to his vegetable bed. My 

 little niece popped into the nice, soft bit of ground some 

 morning glory seeds, and after a while they all came up 

 a mixed mass, that took hours to disentangle, and much 

 grumbling, if not stronger words, by Uncle Jacob fol- 

 lowed. But one rainy day this spring I took some thin 

 pine shingles and cut them up in long narrow strips, 

 sharpening one end. When I planted, it hardly took a 

 minute to write the name with a lead pencil and put in 

 the ground by each kind, and I knew where to look for 

 anything I wanted, and there was less danger of pulling 

 up the small seedlings for weeds. A garden depends for 

 success on attention to these little details. Stake the 

 dahlias, hollyhocks and gladiolus, or you will find the 

 poor things laid low and injured beyond repair by the 

 first hard blow. — Sister Gracious. 



