20 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
adjectives as ditch, water, mountain, tall dwarf, early, 
and Hie like are self explanatory as in the case of the 
specific names; in fact, they are very frequently literal 
translations of such names. 
The names of obscure derivation are the ones of most 
interest. Take, for instance, the word knops in such terms 
as golden knops applied to several species of Ranunculus. 
This is archaic English for a flower-head and in all prob¬ 
ability goes hack to the Teutonic knopf or its equivalent, 
meaning a head, hud, or button. Spearwort, a generic 
term for several small species of Ranunculus, is deriveu 
from an Anglo-Saxon word meaning a spire or shoot just 
as we still say a “spear” of grass. In all probability the 
spears used in combat were similar though larger spears. 
The three common species of Ranunculus, R. acris, R. 
bulbosus, and R. repens, naturally have the greatest num¬ 
ber of common names. They might also be said to be joint 
owners of a number of names referring to their color, as 
yellow gowan, horse gold, gold balls, gold cups, gold 
weed, butter rose, butter cress, butter daisy, butter flow¬ 
er, in addition to butter cup. Several of these terms may 
be applied with equal propriety to other species of the 
genus. The word gowan is now used in Scotland to indi¬ 
cate the daisy, but it once meant any kind of flower or 
bud. When Burns wrote of “gowans fine,” he doubtless 
meant wildflowers in general. Butter daisy is a different 
rendering of yellow gowan. The word rose is another 
term that once had a less restricted meaning than we 
allow it at present, as witness rock rose, Christmas rose, 
rose moss and rose of Jericho. Butter rose is simply a. 
butter colored flower. In horse gold, the word horse im 
plies coarse, common, or spurious. It is often thus em¬ 
ployed in flower names, as horse-mint, and horse-radish. 
The names blister flower, blister wort, blister plant and 
biting crowfoot are applied to several species noted for 
their acrid and biting juice, especially R. sceleratus, R. 
bulbosus and R. acris. The name of St. Anthony’ turnip, 
applied to R. bulbosus, probably has the same suggestion. 
The bulbous base of the stem is not unlike a turnip in 
shape, and St. Anthony is the saint above all others for 
which hot and blistering things might properly be named. 
This species is also called St. Anthony’s rape. Ranunculus 
sceleratus is called water celery and celery leaved crow¬ 
foot, but in reference to its leaves and not as a translation 
of the specific name. The worthless properties of this 
species have earned for it the name of cursed crowfoot, 
but it is apparently not the only species cursed for R. ar- 
vensis bears the names of hell weed and devil’s claws. 
To this species also belong starve acre and hunger weed. 
The plant is said to receive the last two appellations be¬ 
cause when it is present in the field the crop will be short 
and the owner brought to want. Devil’s claws quite 
likely refers to the way the plant lays hold on the field 
rather than to any particular thought of the devil. R. re¬ 
pens is called ram’s claws though no ram we have ever 
seen had claws. Possibly the name is derived from the 
Icelandic ramr, meaning strong, in allusion to the way 
the species grasps the soil. Sit fast is another name 
applied to this plant whose hold on the soil makes it es¬ 
pecially applicable. 
Ranunculus ficaria is called figwort from the fig-like 
shape of its roots. It also bears the name of lesser colan- 
dine, the true celandine being a yellow-flowered plant of 
the poppy family. Another of its names, crain, is un¬ 
meaning enough until we discover that crain or cran is an 
ancient name for marsh, hence cranberry and perhaps 
crane, a storklike bird. Ranunculus trichophyllus, owing 
to its much divided leaves is known as water milfoil. The 
true milfoil is usually regarded as belonging to the yar¬ 
row genus (Achillea). Double forms of R. acris are 
sometimes known as bachelor’s buttons, as are many 
other buttonlike flowers. Finally, cuckoo-buds applied 
to some species of Ranunculus finds authority in Shakes¬ 
peare where 
“Cuckoo buds of yellow hue 
Do paint the meadow with delight.” 
OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED FOR WOUNDED 
SOLDIERS 
Service Men will be Paid $80 a Month for Attendance at 
Agricultural College 
The Federal Board of vocational training, through S. E. Far- 
well, district vocational officer, calls attention to the help which 
the board gives to returned soldiers. He points out that many 
young men have sustained major disabilities and have returned 
directly to their homes without learning of the opportunities 
offered for special training. 
Qualified men will be paid at the rate of $80 a month for at¬ 
tendance at agricultural colleges and will be furnished with books 
and supplies, and with medical attention. 
The State College of Agriculture at Ithaca has placed the fac¬ 
ilities of the college at the services of the rehabilitation officers 
for the training of men who have the college requirements. The 
college feels that the opportunity is so vital to the welfare of 
young men that it should be widely known. Returned soldiers 
may write directly to Mr. S. E. Farwell at 469 Fifth Avenue, New 
York, or may get in touch with the local agricultural agent. 
There are already a number of service men on the rolls of the 
college of agriculture. 
A STATE ASSOCIATION FOR ARKANSAS 
The nurserymen of Arkansas have organized a State 
Nurserymen’s Association. George Parker, Fayettsville, 
has been elected President; E. H. Balland, Piggott, Clay 
county, Secretary. 
The next meeting will be held at Little Rock, Arkansas, 
in early spring. 
Lewis Graton, Whitman, Massachusetts, has originated 
a new strawberry, which was awarded the Massachusetts 
Horticulture Society’s Silver Medal, and is laying plans 
to put it on the market this coming spring. Mr. Graton 
has been specializing in small fruits and thinks his new 
St. Martin Strawberry is a winner. 
Reports from Cincinnati, Ohio, say the Borers are at¬ 
tacking the birch in the vicinity of this city. This pest is 
very difficult to control or to eradicate as it works im¬ 
mediately under the bark and completely girdles the tree 
before it is discovered. , 
It is not so readily seen as the borers that attack the 
peach, beech and other trees. Other localities have ex¬ 
perienced the same trouble. There are very few birches 
of any size in the vicinity of Philadelphia due to the 
same cause. It is possible, the birch being a northern 
tree has been carried a little too far south for its welfare 
and on this account is succumbing to the pest, as we have 
not heard that it is being attacked in its natural habitat. 
