NOMENCLATURE OF VEGETABLES. 



The Association of American Agricultural Col- 

 leges and Experiment Stations, at its Knoxville meet- 

 ing in January, i88g, appointed a committee to de- 

 vise methods for co-operative work in horticulture, 

 and especially in testing new varieties of fruits and 

 vegetables. This committee called a meeting of 

 Station horticulturists at Columbus, Ohio, in June, 

 i88g, for consultation. At this meeting a commit- 

 tee on the nomenclature of vegetables was appointed, 

 consisting of L. H. Bailey, E. S. Goff and W. J. 

 Green. The report of that committee, together 

 with the rules for nomenclature formulated by them, 

 are presented herewith. 



Report of Committee. — The committee believe 

 that all interests will be subserved and that dignity 

 will be secured, by simplicity and good taste in the 

 nomenclature of kitchen-garden vegetables. To this 

 end they have formulated a series of rules on the 

 naming of vegetables. 



Reform in this department of horticultural nomen 

 clature should be prosecuted as vigorously and suc- 

 cessfully as it has been in the nomenclature of fruits 

 at the hands of the American Pomological Society. 

 The committee are confident that brevity, accuracy 

 and good taste in the naming of vegetables are per- 

 fectly compatible with the purposes of trade, and 

 therefore solicit co-operation in this work not only 

 from all writers upon horticultural topics, but also 

 from all dealers in seeds and garden supplies. 



A name is bestowed upon any plant solely for the 

 purpose of designating it ; it is not the province of 

 a name to describe the plant. All description is 

 properly a part of the text. This description should 

 present a characterization of the variety, rather 

 than a mere list of adjectives intended to catch the 

 eye. The committee desire to suggest that a var- 



iety never be described under a name which is ac- 

 cepted as a synonym ; if the synonym is used as a 

 leader, it should stand only for the purpose of making 

 a reference to the proper name : as, k'ory Ball — 

 see Wliite Apple. 



Rules. — The name of a variety should consist of 

 a single word, or at most, of two words. A phrase, 

 descrijjtive or otherwise, is never allowable : as, 

 P>i</e of Italy, King ofMaininotlis, Earliest of All. 



2. The name should not be superlative or bom- 

 bastic. In particular, all such epithets as Neiv, 

 Large, Giant, Fine, Selected, Inipnn'ed, and the like, 

 should be omitted. If the grower or dealer has a 

 superior stock of a variety, the fact should be stated 

 in the description immediately after the name, 

 rather than as a part of the name itself ; as. " Tro- 

 phy, selected stock." 



3. If a grower or dealer has procured a new 

 select strain of a well known variety, it shall be 

 legitimate for him to use his own name in connec- 

 tion with the established name of the variety ; as, 

 Smith's Winnigstadt, Jones's Cardinal. 



4. When personal names are given to \-arieties, 

 titles should be omitted ; as, J/aJor General, Queen. 



5. The term hybrid'^ should not be used, except 

 in those rare mstances in which the variety is known 

 to be of hybrid origin. 



6. The originator has the prior right to name 

 the variety ; but the oldest name which conforms to 

 these rules should be adopted. 



7. This committee reserve the right, in their own 

 publications, to revise objectionable names in con- 

 formity with these rules. 



* A hybrid is the product of true species. There are few, if any, 

 instances of true hybrids among common garden vegetables. The 

 union of varieties gives rise to a cross. 



HOW THE GARDEN PAID. 



Last season we had three-fourths of a man and 

 half of a horse to each acre, in the way of " help." 

 This was enough to plant, care for, harvest and mar- 

 ket the products of the garden up to date. Our 

 greenhouse brought in 50 cents for each foot of 

 glass. The hot beds were run with half a sash to 

 each sash space in the beds, during the time from 

 December to May. The crops sold aggregated in 



value as much as the \ alue of the land on w hich tliey 

 grew. We do not consider the year a ^■er3• unprofit- 

 able one. 



Peas \\'ere sowed early, matured early, and sold 

 for a good price. Lettuce, both early and late, 

 were good and prices were good. Beans all through 

 the season, in six successive sowings, blasted after 

 attaining half their growth, and the crop was almost 



