Jane 19, 1890. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
615 
Sweet William under the title of ‘ Dianthus bartatus,’ or the Canterbury 
Bell as ‘ Campanula medium calycanthema ? ’ The amateur gardener is 
frequently not profoundly versed in the classical tongues, or, if he once 
knew them, he may very likely have forgotten them in the pursuits of 
active life, where dead languages are not much wanted. Ills zeal for 
sowing and planting receives its first check when he discovers the diffi¬ 
culty which attends his attempts to make out what particular flower 
the florists’ catalogue are describing. Snapdragons and Sweet I’eas he 
knows perfectly well, and probably desires to see reproduced in his own 
plot of land ; but he is naturally unable to recognise those two popular 
favourites under the aliases respectively of ‘ Antirrhinum majus ’ and 
‘ Lathyrus odoratus.’ lu this way a positive injury is done to science. 
People do not care to do their flower gardening with a I,atin dictionary 
on one side of them and a Greek lexicon on the other. The consequence 
is that science is voted ‘ beastly ’ by males and ‘ horrid ’ by women, on the 
strength of the very repellent terminology with which it has chosen to 
surround itself. It adopts the tactics of the Nettle—we beg pardon, the 
‘ Urtica urens”—and is only harmless to those persevering and audacious 
students who grasp it firmly, and are not frightened away by its for¬ 
bidding bristles. It would be rather interesting to have each flower 
mentioned in Tennyson’s catalogue of those which adorned the ‘ garden 
of Roses ’ in ‘ Maud ’ changed into its proper scientific equivalent. The 
fearful ‘ hash ’—no milder word can be used—which would result might 
lead the botanist to repentance, and suggest to him that if he desires 
the popularisation of science he must consent to invent, and then adopt, 
a terminology at once simple, easily intelligible, and harmonious in 
sound. 
“Our museums are frequently places where unintelligibility has 
been elevated into a fine art. At the very threshold the rustic visitor is 
daunted by the announcement that he can obtain at the gate a 
‘ synopsis’ of the collection, that is to say a catalogue, or better still, a 
list of the contents. ‘ What’s a snopsis ? ’ he asks of the janitor, only to 
receive the unsatisfactory reply, ‘ a shillin’.’ The placards attached to 
interesting objects ought, of course, to describe those objects in the very 
simplest language obtainable. If it is necessary to be technical at such 
places, which are intended for the edification of the general unlettered 
publie as well as of students, then the scientific terms should be added 
after the explanation in the Queen’s English. This rule is often utterly 
neglected, with the result that visitors stare at the fossils and minerals 
and stuffed birds, and so on, without carrying away with them any 
impression beyond a depressing sense of their own ignorance. Such is 
hardly the object for which museums exist. There may be some excuse 
in text books for the retention of technical language, for these are 
supposed to be pored over by the light of the midnight oil ; but where 
the ‘ average man ’ may be expected as a visitor the explanations should 
be suite! to the average intelligence. Botany is not by any means the 
only science which sins in this way ; but its offence is the most glaring, 
because the objects with which it deals are so beautiful, and its 
terminology is so exceptionally atrocious. ‘ Monocotyledonous ’ is a 
term which, like ‘ Popocatapetl,’ might reasonably be employed in a 
game where words have to be said rapidly several times over under pain 
of a forfeit. It is difficult also to derive much mental comfort from such 
a sentence as the following, a mere sample of the crimes of professed 
botanists : ‘ The cells of the medullary rays, stretching between the 
fibro-vascular bundles and continuous with their cambium cells, become 
converted into secondary meristem, and then an interfascicular 
cambium is formed, which eventually coalesces with the cambium rings 
of the fibro-vascular bundles.’ Lives there the man with soul so dead, 
who would not shut his book with a bang or precipitate it into the fire 
on having such a literary outrage perpetrated in his presence ? What 
good purpose is served by calling the inner bark ‘ endophlmum, and 
outer bark ‘ epiphlmum ? ’ We get one word instead of two, but we 
have a conundrum thrown in. ‘Many-ribbed’ is every whit as good 
and serviceable a word as ‘ multicostate ; ’ and against the whole tribe 
of terms, such as ‘ eleutherosepalous,’ ‘ antherine dehiscense,’ ‘ redupli¬ 
cative mstivation,’ ‘ gymnospermous,’ and the like, it is necessary to 
declare war to the knife. We readily admit that certain pretty Latin 
and Greek names have become naturalised into the language, and should 
be retained. Nobody wishes to rechristen the Primula, the Convolvulus, 
the Rhododendron, or the Polyanthus. Nevertheless there is something 
distinctly unsatisfactory in the state of botany when an educated 
Englishman going to a flower show prefers to hold his tongue rather 
than venture on the fearful compound titles which any gardener can 
rattle off without the slightest comprehension. Gardeners are frequently 
pensive and sad-looking men. Has their natural gaiety perished under 
the ravages of scientific terminology ? ’’ 
WOKK.foii™eWEEK,. is 
FRUIT FORCING, 
Pikes.— Fruit Biiiyiinq. —When the fruit commences colouring 
syringing should cease, but the supply of water at the roots must be 
continued as before when necessary and to improve the colour and 
quality of the fruit ventilate liberally, but do not allow the temperature 
to fall below 80° in the daytime, gradually diminishing the moisture in 
the house, maintaining a night temperature of 70° to 75°. Plants of 
Queens and Providence started into fruit last February will ripen this 
month, whilst Smooth Cayennes and Charlotte Rothschild will require 
about a month longer to finish properly. Under the same conditions- 
they furnish a good successional supply, which may be still further 
extended by removing some of the fruiting plants to a cool airy place. 
Continue the same conditions at the roots as regards bottom heat, viz., 
a temperature of 80° to !*0°. 
Successional Plants, —Fire heat will not be necessary much longer, 
as the temperature, by the assistance of the heated beds in which the 
plants are plunged, rarely falls below 05° at this season and for the next 
few weeks, and this naturally obtained temperature is more suitable for 
the development of the plants than a higher one. Recently potted 
plants make growth quickly. Strict attention should be given to venti¬ 
lation to prevent attenuated growth, therefore admit air at 75° to 80°, 
increasing it until 85° is reached, and above that ventilate fully, 
diminishing it in the afternoon, clo.sing at a temperature of 80°, afford¬ 
ing a light sprinkling daily when bright weather prevails. 
Suckers. —From those on the early fruiting plants a sufficient 
number should be selected to meet the demand, and if started at once 
the plants resulting will be suitable for fruiting from this time forward 
another season, and will be supplementary to those started in March, 
their requirements being identical, only shading must be more 
effectual. 
Vines. — Early Tines Cleared of their Crops.— the Vines 
occasionally to keep the foliage clean ; afford water to render the soil 
moist, a mulching of not rich material, keeping the surface from cracking, 
and the surface being moist will prevent the roots going down in quest 
of moisture. Allow a moderate extension of the laterals, and admit air 
freely above G0°. There is no fear of the wood not ripening, and the- 
difficulty is to prevent the premature ripening and fall of the foliage. 
If there have been red spider or thrips the foliage must be thoroughly 
cleansed by the prompt application of an insecticide. 
Pipe Grapes. —These will be the better for slight shade from 
powerful sun, some pilchard-or a double thickness of herring nets drawii 
over the roof lights will mostly be sufficient shade, and a good spread 
of foliage will assist Black Hamburghs in keeping colour. Moderate 
air moisture will not injure the Grapes if accompanied by free ventila¬ 
tion. Keep laterals fairly under, but a little extension will assist in 
the retention of the principal leaves, and upon their continuance 
in health depends the maturity of the wood for next year’s crop. 
Grapes Jlipening. — Afford a circulation of air constantly, with 
sufficient heat in the pipes to maintain a night temperature of 05°, and 
70° to 75° by day with 80° to 85° or 90° through the day from sun heat. 
Avoid a dry atmosphere, damping occasionally, and do not allow the 
border to become dry, but if necessary give a thorough supply of water 
in the early part of a fine day, so as to allow of the superfluous moisture 
being evaporated before closing time. It is not a moderately moist 
atmosphere which causes Grapes to crack, but the deposition of moisture 
on the skins. 
Scalding. —A gentle warmth in the pipes and a little ventilation 
constantly with an increase by the time the sun begins to act on the 
house in the morning and somewhat free circulation by day makes all- 
the difference between scalding and non-scalding. Occasionally 
Muscats are scalded when the berries are exposed to the direct rays of 
the sun in the most carefully ventilated structure and chiefly at the> 
higher parts of the house and furthest from the hot-water pipes, which 
points in the direction of the absorption of moisture from the air if not 
condensation of moisture during the night being the cause of the 
mischief, which is clearly not an ailment but a cultural defect, an 
excess of watery matter over the power of assimilation, and subsequent 
heating or scalding. In the northern parts of the country the sun’s- 
rays acting through large panes of glass are so powerful that scorching 
sometimes takes place under the most advantageous conditions of heat 
and ventilation, so that it becomes necessary when the Grapes have 
stoned and about changing colour to afford a slight shade as that of a 
herring net over the roof lights in order to subdue the fierce direct 
rays of the sun, which not only insures the more satisfactory swelling of 
the berries but their immunity, other conditions being favourable, from- 
scalding, and the greater regularity of the ripening. Black Hamburghs- 
seem to colour best beneath a good spread of foliage, but .all require 
thorough exjx)sure of the foliage to air and light. 
Young Vines in Pots. —When from 0 to 8 feet long pinch out the 
point of the lead or cane and stop the laterals and sub-laterals at one 
joint as produced. This applies to Vines intended for fruiting next 
season. Those intended for planting may be allowed to make all the 
lateral growth they can, and be cut back to two or three eyes at plant¬ 
ing time. Secure as much stored up matter in the fruiters as possible 
by judicious feeding .and the exposure of the foliage to light, keeping it 
cleanly and not interfered with in any way by laterals. 
Late Grapes. —These must be thinned directly they are large 
enough ; the berries swelling so rapidly at this season that they soon- 
become too large to be thinned expeditiously and properly. Besides, 
when the thinning is delayed the fruit suffers proportionately in 
ultimate size and perfection. The laterals must not be allowed to 
interfere with the principal leaves ; but where there is space to allow of 
the growths being fully exposed to light they may be alloweil to extend, 
not otherwise, overcrowding and overcropping being the cause of many 
failures. Remove all superfluous, deformed, or small bunches. Crop 
