March 12, 1898 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



173 



, 1 Ireland which in no case seem 10 nave any connecuuu wim uui 



- and he speaks with approval of Gerard's list of Welsh names, already 

 D3 ? *U And not only in England, but in almost every civilised country books 



rTi^'pn Dublished on plant names. Some are complete dictionaries, or profess 

 he so as T and W. Grimm's " Deutsches Worterbuch," Nemmich's "Nomen- 

 ^tor Multilinguis," Ulrich's " Internationales Worterbuch," in which the names 

 riven in Latin, English, German, and French ; and the "Catalogo polyglotto 

 delle Plante," by the Contessa Aima de San Giorgio ; but in none of these are the 

 notices of English names quite satisfactory, though the last-named authoress was an 

 Englishwoman, u nata Harley d'Oxford." With these we may join Seeman's 

 "Popular Nomenclature of the American Flora," because, though confined to the 

 American flora, it was intended as an introduction to the popular names of plants 

 of the whole world — a large design which, unfortunately, was not carried further. 



A strong effort has been lately made to popularise plants, especially exotic 

 plants, by abolishing the Latin names and inventing new English names. On this 

 vexed question I wish to say very little, except that I entirely dislike it, and am 

 glad to see that the effort has been successful only to a very small extent. But 

 there is nothing new in the effort. All the old writers, Gerard, Turner, Parkin- 

 son, Coles, Miller, and others, always gave English names with the Latin names, 

 but for the most part the names given were only translations, and did not pretend 

 to be more. It was the same with the great botanical works of the present cen- 

 tury, as the Botonical Magazine^ the Botanical Register, and the works of Sweet, 

 Andrews, Lindley, and others, but in 1 87 1 the Botanical Magazine gave up the 

 practice. In the " Handbook to the British Flora "Mr. Bentham went a step 

 further, and, largely dropping the old common names, he made an attempt to keep 

 the Latin names in an English dress, but it did not become popular ; and that is 

 not surprising when we find among the suggestions such names as Common lap- 

 same (Lapsana communis), six-stamened elatine {Elatine hexandra), procumbent 

 helioscad (Helioscadium nodiflorum), maiden-hair adiant {Adiantum capiltus 

 veneris), sea peucedane (Peucedanum pahistre), &c. We need only turn to Miller's 

 "Dictionary of English Names of Plants," noticed above, a book written specially 

 0 advocate the giving English names to all plants, and we see at once that names 

 are not made more simple by that means ; but that it ends in confusion worse 

 confounded. Two instances will suffice. For the English names of calochortus 

 we have N butterfly tulip, butterfly weed, mariposa lily, wild tulip of California " ; 

 and as the English names of Eucalyptus resinifera we have "Botany Bay kino 

 tree, gray or red gum, hickory of New South Wales, leather jacket, red mahogany 

 of New South Wales." I prefer the simple and well-known names calochortus 

 and eucalyptus. 



However, I leave this vexed question, because I know there are many who go 

 much further, and who despise not only scientific names for plants, but all names, 

 whether scientific or trivial ; and I have known some who have travelled far and 

 wide with a real love for all that is beautiful in Nature, but with no wish to know 

 anything of the history of the countries in which they travel, and still less of their 

 geology, flora, or fauna. Such people have an utter contempt for all names of 

 plants ; they often have a keen eye to the beauties of Nature and to all natural 

 scenery, and they delight in the forms and colours of flowers, birds, and insects, 

 hut they go no further ; all that they see are simply pretty, or it may be grand, 

 pictures, but no more ; and to them the primrose by the river's brim is not even a 

 primrose-it is but a spot of bright yellow in a green setting. Such travellers are 

 in no sense naturalists ; and if, as they often do, they publish their travels, the 

 book is of no practical use ; whereas a little trouble in finding out even the 

 common names, and still better the scientific names of the flowers, birds, and 

 insects, would have enabled many readers to see something of the scenes, and to 

 snare in the pleasure which the author found in his walks. But they will not, or 

 Z\l> 1 C f ^uble, and content themselves with prefacing the account of 

 22^7 the excuse for the barrenness of their descriptions-" I make no 



pretence to any scientific knowledge of any part of natural history." 



thi^tuV 1 7}° wish to take a reall y intelligent interest in their gardening 

 bi Thtj' aTP Say this -P lant names, ifamily names, river names, field names, 



da ? 'iSfn' $ nai ? es have a11 been the stud y of man y learned ™en 5 and in our 

 on the ,L eVC 7 g ths ? connects us with the past is sought out and commented 



id it u l n DanM ? 0f a11 sorts holds a hi S h P lace in the estimation of scholars, 

 meet on rnmmL W h ° W the unlettered sava S e and. the great scholars 



ffS oLctT? gr ° Und m ^ eir r ? SpeCt f ° r nameS ' Ths sava S e S ives lif e to every 

 him lffiwL^ m -° ■ D ^ nVCrS ' and hillS 5 aDd he shows that they are to 

 to him a • glVmg n ames, and when once so named they become 



have noticed rhl' m T ™ Xiy CaSe ? ( ? bjects of worshi P> but not before. Travellers 



man 



da 



Th#» no m = • 1 , " J mi<_i., uui a.u ausoiute pare or 



rine life Tv^r 2 s ge as the man ' and remain swith him after death, and 

 °n| the Nor W S m n f a grC f to fluen< * on the man -" He traces the same 

 »<nes, simnlv 1^?, ' ^ PpS ' In i^ and other . s ; and that this res Pect for 

 only go to E Sw t M ^ COt \ fined to half-civilised nations we may see if we 



« very rcmwkable S" 6 ,? t^?- and alm ° st sacredness of names of every sort 

 flighted to S th ™ e ° ld herbahsts when writing about plant-names, were 



' ike of tree " from t ^ Cy T\ . to •*? S ^ PS ° f **** Solomo °> who 



nngeth out of he Si » anf f t r U * F in L f t banon un *> the hyssop that 



_ L ;, e wall » and so must have known their names 



ig tha' " - - - 



itm/i " P lants an <* flowers which thev ove. Th^ 1' 



fi ut Duttincr ti-i f j must nave known th eir names. 



■ Plants and flo^^ I *7 an X hes ! tation that those who take delight 



- of the S "2 1 fl fiDd a fre ^ h and L lastin S deIJ ght if they will study the 

 *Pt4J^ bZ?* flowers w hich they love. The two things are closely 



^ interfere ^ t t hey , never *° £ cl * sh *at the pleasure taken in the one pur- 



ere w,th fh ~ pleasure of the other. And " ^ 



und 

 ^iit wi 

 o th 



easily 



rustworthy. 



A New 



d cscril>ed 



SSSSS^^^S^ 1 ^ ,1 ^*!?^ has bee n raised by Mr 



A - r a crim on r S S*7 f ™ d ^ i**. named Phenomenal. * It is 



*^ost delicious of^S^ f 7 C • l0Ur ' f r du ° tlVe as cou,d be desi ^d, and 



five to ten or mo re Z a ? d fiW The W grows in clusters 



J« ;\ay and f our the 0 ^ r the . ^dividual berries measuring three inches around 



■* remarkable plant is SS " eaCh ' 11 * C,aimed 



***** n r ha ^ e heen us^d for ^ rlH v? ° f . the co "; s k t,tutlon takes place after Hollo way "s 



J ^ 1 f^^^ly for r , ff C Ume - i 1 -^ 7 are P^-eminent above all other 

 WkC y for ^th . cure of liver complaints and disorders of the stomach ; 



tHii'rit Un ,n a,! condition* nf = Ointment mvalua Ue for curing wounds, cuts, sores, 



A tfSA 0 * ^ of the ailmLf d ^K° f p^ 1 ^ 1 ^,-! as lt P^etrates internally 



HWnJSj r Wa S ks 0n the nenes thl u l . h * PllIs aCt h1 J c ma ^ lc ln curing low spirit,, and 

 ^^tAfiVT?' &c - They nurift t^kf 5 xcit «n ei . lt » excessive heat, brain worry consequent on 



^ y P n,y th «Wood, and give a new lease of strength to the consthu- 



New Plants, Flowers, and Vegetables 



Phaius Norman. 



This is a most beautiful and distinct phaius, a hybrid between P. Sanderianus and 

 b. tuberculosa. The growth is vigorous and erect, and the spikes are tall, and 

 carry big attractive flowers. The blooms are about five inches across, with 

 spreading sepals and petals of a rosy metallic hue, veined with carmine. The 

 large spreading hp has old-gold coloured side lobes and base, a bright reddish- 

 brown area veined with yellow and red, a front lobe of deep rose speckled with 

 deep red, and a long golden disk spotted with red. F.C.C., R.H.S., March 8th. 

 Messrs. Charlesworth and Co., Heaton, Bradford. 



Phaius Norman rosea. 



This is scarcely so robust as the type, and differs in having clear rosy sepals 

 and petals, more yellow in the throat of the lip, and a more reddish front lobe to 



the latter organ. F.C.C., R.H.S., March 8. Messrs. Charlesworth and Co., 

 Bradford. 



Phaius Norman aurea. 



This form is as robust as the type, but has yellowish sepals and petals, and a 

 yellowish base to the lip. The latter organ is also somewhat lighter than in other 

 forms, but none the less beautiful and effective. All these three phaius are the 

 result of seed produced in the same pod. A.M., R.H.S., March 8. Messrs. 

 Charlesworth and Co. 



L^elio-cattleya Warnhamensis. 



A most brilliant hybrid with flowers four to five inches across ; the sepals are 

 somewhat narrow and of a curious shade of colour, yellowish with an orange - 

 scarlet suffusion. The petals are broader and of a curious carmine hue, overlaying 

 an orange ground ; lip long and frilled, rich carmine at the apex with a bright 

 orange yellow throat. A.M., R.H.S., March 8. Mr. Duncan, gardener to C. J. 

 Lucas, Esq., Warnham Court. 



DENDROBIUM ASTRvEA superba. 



A handsome dendrobe with creamy sepals, and petals all tipped with deep rosy- 

 purple. The lip is broad and long, creamy white with large orange base and dark 

 brown stripes ; the front lobe is tipped with deep rosy-purple. A.M., R.H.S., 

 March 8. Mr. N. C. Cookson, Oakwood, Wylam-on-Tyne. 



Odontoglossum Wilckeanum Pitt.*;. 



A remarkably beautiful odontoglot, and as robust as beautiful. The spike 

 carried seventeen large flowers, and these have a rich yellow ground colour, on 

 which are large and small blotches of rich chocolate-red. The edges of the seg- 

 ments are all slightly toothed and waved. Lip large, yellow, blotched with 

 chocolate red, and with a gold disk striped with red. F.C.C., R.H.S., March 8. 

 Mr. H. T. Pitt, Stamford Hill. 



Dendrobium Ainsworthi Woodhatch var. 



This is a superb form of a well-known hybrid, and surpassing it in size and 

 effectiveness. The large segments are of a creamy-white hue, and the central 

 purple area of the lip is of a deeper shade than usual. A beautiful orchid that is 

 bound to become popular. A.M., R.H.S., March 8. Mr. Salter, gardener to 

 J. B. Haywood, Esq., Woodhatch Lodge, Reigate. 



Cattleya Mi 



DA. 



This is a bold cattleya obtained by crossing C. guttata Prinzi and C . Trianse. 

 The growths are stout and elongated, each bearing at the apex a pair of large 

 leathery leaves. The sepals and petals are of a bright-rose colour, splashed and 

 dotted with bright violet purple ; the latter are two and a half inches long by an 

 inch and a half broad. The lip has pale-rose side-lobes that clasp the column the 

 whole of their length, thus forming a tube ; the apex consists of a rich purple 

 lobe frilled with deep violet purple. A.M., R.H.S., March 8. Messrs. J. 

 Veitch and Sons, Chelsea. 



Hippeastrums. 



Navala is a splendid round form and a large flower ; colour, bright-orange 

 with white featherings at the bases of the segments, A.M., R.H.S., March 8. 

 Messrs. J. Veitch and Sons, Chelsea. 



Princess Osra is a most beautiful hippeastrum, with deep and intense orange 

 scarlet flowers having a white centre and a clear and pure white band down the 

 centre of each segment; a fine round flower of great size and substance. A.M., 

 R.H.S., March 8. Mr. A. Chapman, gardener to Captain Holford, Tetbury. 



Azalea grandiflora alba. 



A first-rate large- flowered and single azalea, with bold white flowers that 

 measure almost five inches across. There is a yellowish tinge at the base of the 

 segments, but not sufficient to detract from the general beauty of the variety. 

 A.M., R.H.S, March 8. The St. George's Nursery Company, Han well. 



Cucumber Every Day. 



We described this useful cucumber in our issue of February 12, and refer to it 

 now because, after further consideration, the Fruit and Vegetable Committee 

 consider it worth a first-class certificate The fruits are h»dsome v bright green 

 and glossy, and with little waste. F.C.C., R.H.S March 8. Mr. Owen 

 Thomas, gardener to H.M. the Queen, at Frogmore, Windsor. 



Agave Shotti. 



x „„ w v^r nf hridht vellow flowers. A specimen that flowered at Kew 



ffy^n^^A?^- Mag - i - 7 ' 567 ' was purchased at the ^ of 



Mr. L T. Peacock's collection m 1889. 



QrjILLAJA SAPONARIA. 



This is a Chilian tree with oblong leaves about an inch and a half in length and 

 greenish yellow flowers about two thirds of an inch across. The tree is remarkable 

 for the hardness of its wood, but more so for the saponaceous character of its bark ; 

 the bark is largely imported for the preparation of detergent hair washes, and it 



1 r ' i of rpvivifvinfr stale beer, A snerimen flowered last 



La 



J \-Am ML AAA *>A*V ^ ~— 



a spray is figured 



Asparagus Sprengeri, a species from Natal that has gained much favour in 

 this country on account of its long graceful growth and ferny foliage, has become 

 wonderfully popular in the United States, where the market growers cultivate it 

 on a very large scale. As a plant for home decoration it has been found to 

 accommodate itself to the dry atmosphere of the living-room in a manner that has 

 far exceeded the most sanguine expectations. 



