February  13,  1896. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
139 
Although  I  have  advised  sowing  the  seed  where  the  plant  is  wanted, 
the  Winter  Aconite  bears  transplanting  tolerably  well  when  it  has  just 
started  to  grow,  and  in  such  a  condition  it  may  be  removed  without 
much  injury  from  the  seed  bed;  and  as  this  is  often  more- convenient 
than  the  other  modes  of  obtaining  a  quantity,  I  may  remark  that  it 
answers  very  well.  In  some  Boils  that  suit  the  plant  it  is  extremely 
accommodating,  and  I  have  seen  it  overcome  grass  and  other  herbage 
that  usurped  its  place  in  the  autumn  ;  therefore,  those  anxious  to  have 
it  in  abundance  need  not  be  apprehensive  of  its  want  of  constitutional 
vigour,  provided  the  soil  is  of  the  right  kind.  Its  greatest  enemies  are 
the  spade  or  digging  fork,  and  in  some  cases  the  scythe  ;  in  other  respects 
the  Winter  Aconite  is  better  able  to  take  care  of  itself  than  many  other 
plants,  and,  as  I  have  already  remarked,  few  are  more  worthy  of  notice, 
coming  into  bloom  amongst  the  very  earliest  of  the  early  flowers,  and 
presenting  us  with  the  same  glittering  tint  ot  yellow  which  renders  the 
Crocus  so  acceptable,  while  it  is  some  weeks  before  it  and  altogether  of 
a  different  character. — J.  N. 
INSTABILITY  IN  PLANT  NOMENCLATURE. 
At  various  times  this  subject  has  been  referred  to  in  the  Journal  of 
Horticulture ,  and  it  is  now  again  brought  to  mind  by  the  “  Hand  List 
of  Orchids  Cultivated  in  the  Royal  Gardens,  Kew,”  of  which  the 
authorities  have  forwarded  us  a  copy.  This  being  probably  the  latest 
list  of  Orchids  emanating  from  an  authoritative  source  it  was  regarded 
as  a  valuable  handbook  of  reference,  by  the  aid  of  which  occasional 
difficulties  might  be  solved  on  the  spelling  of  plant  names  ;  but  in 
glancing  through  the  pages  we  noticed  several  departures  from  the 
Index  Kewensis ,  and  on  closer  comparison  it  was  seen  that  the  two 
authorities  were  in  direct  variance  in  one  particular,  of  which  the 
following  are  instances.  The  names  in  the  first  column  are  taken  from 
two  pages  of  the  list  just  received. 
Kew  Hand  List  of  Orchid  Names.  “  Index  Kewensis  ”  Names. 
Cypripedium  dayanum 
„  Druryi 
,,  harrisianum 
„  haynaldianum 
„  klotzschianum 
„  lawrenceanum 
„  Lowii 
„  lindleyanum 
Cypripedium  Dayanum 
,,  Drurii 
,,  Harrisianum 
„  Haynaldianum 
„  Klotzscheanum 
,,  Lawrenceanum 
„  Lowei 
„  Lindleyanum 
It  will  be  perceived  that  the  conflict  lies  mainly  in  the  initial  letter, 
the  former  work  using  the  small,  and  the  latter  the  more  familiar 
capital.  But  there  are  other  divergencies,  for  one  authority  gives  as 
correct  rendering  of  identical  original  names — Druryi  and  Lowii,  and 
the  other  Drurii  and  Lowei,  while  the  Hand  List  gives  Zilotzschianum, 
and  the  I.K.  ATlotzscbeanum. 
When  such  differences  appear  in  standard  works  of  reference  it 
cannot  be  wondered  at  that  horticulturists  should  experience  difficulty 
in  the  rendering  of  plant  names.  On  referring  to  another  hand  list 
from  Kew,  we  observe  the  same  peculiarity  in  utilising  the  small  in 
preference  to  the  capital  initial  letter  in  identical  names. 
If  the  compilers  and  editors  of  the  Kew  Hand  ListB  have  higher 
authority  for  this  practice,  which  we,  in  common  with  Mr.  Watson,  in 
“  Orchids  ;  their  Culture  and  Management,”  and  Messrs.  Yeitch,  in  the 
“  Manual  of  Orchidaceous  Plants,”  have  adopted,  perhaps  they  will  be 
good  enough  to  enlighten  us,  and  also  say  whether  the  official  handbook 
under  notice,  or  the  Index  Kewensis  should  be  taken  as  the  standard 
guide  in  doubtful  matters  regarding  plant  nomenclature  1  If  the  great 
work  mentioned  is  to  be  superseded  in  this  reference  by  the  later  and 
infinitely  smaller,  we  cannot  but  think  it  a  pity  ;  while,  if  the  authority 
of  the  magnum  opus  is  to  be  maintained,  why  the  sudden  departure 
indicated  as  coming  from  the  same  source  ?  One  of  the  young  lions 
of  Fleet  Street  describes  it  as  a  provoking  case  of  Kewish  instability, 
AN  ENCYCLOPEDIA  OF  GARDENING. 
A  NEW  work  has  been  sent  to  us  under  the  above  title.  The  author 
is  Mr.  T.  W.  Sanders,  F.R.H.S.,  and  the  publishers  Messrs.  W.  H.  and 
L.  Collingridge.  Mr.  Sanders  is  one  of  our  old  and  respected  coadjutors  ; 
indeed,  as  a  writer  it  may  almost  be  said  of  him  that  he  served  his  time 
on  the  Journal  of  Horticulture ,  and  it  is  a  matter  of  great  satisfaction 
to  us  that  he  has  made  such  good  use  of  it.  He  was  in  those  days  a 
thoughtful,  hard-working  young  head  gardener,  always  searching  for 
knowledge  and  striving  for  excellence  In  whatever  he  essayed  to 
accomplish.  His  spare  time,  such  as  he  had,  was  spent  in  gaining 
information,  and  one  of  his  methods  to  that  end  was  in  imparting  such 
as  he  had  obtained — namely,  in  writing  for  the  Press.  In  this  exercise 
he  took  the  same  pains  as  he  would  in  thinning  a  bunch  of  Grapes, 
making  a  bouquet,  or  in  discharging  any  other  practical  duty.  He 
commenced  modestly  and  continued  perseveringly,  learning  as  he  went 
along,  till  he  made  himself  as  competent  with  the  pen  as  the  spade. 
The  way  in  which  he  succeeded  in  literary  pursuits  is  best  known  to 
himself.  He  may  have  written  articles  over  and  over  again,  as  many  of 
the  best  writers  have  done  before  they  left  their  hands  ;  one  thing  is 
certain,  he  did  not  complain  of  “  editorial  mutilation,”  but,  on  the 
contrary,  noted,  and  in  the  end  profited  by,  every  correction,  whether 
in  the  way  of  excision,  transposition,  or  substitution.  He  may  not  have 
thought  his  communications  were  improved  in  every  instance,  and 
perhaps  they  were  not.  Be  that  as  it  may,  they  eventually  became  open 
to  very  little  improvement,  and  he  has  since  learned  the  reason  for 
certain  turns  and  twists  which  may  once  have  puzzled  him,  for  he  is 
now  an  Editor.  We  congratulate  him  on  his  success  in  that  direction, 
and  on  the  production  of  this  very  handy  and  useful  work  of  reference. 
It  is  described  on  the  title  page  as  “  A  Dictionary  of  Cultivated 
Plants,  &c.,”  and  is  announced  as  “  giving  an  epitome  of  the  culture  of 
all  the  kinds  generally  grown  in  gardens  in  this  country,  together  with  a 
complete  list  of  their  common  or  popular  names.”  Whether  every 
cultivated  plant  is  included  or  not,  or  whether  the  name  list  is 
absolutely  complete,  we  do  not  know,  nor  should  we  like  to  search 
through  the  thousands  of  entries  for  testing  the  matter,  as  we  are 
fully  satisfied  that  there  is  enough,  and  more  than  enough,  information 
for  the  money,  between  the  covers.  We  do  not  suggest  that  the  chief 
title  of  the  work  is  not  justified,  for  if  we  take  the  meaning  of  the  word 
“  Encyclopaedia  ”  as  “a  comprehensive  summary  of  knowledge  or  a 
branch  of  knowledge,”  it  precisely  indicates  the  character  of  the  book, 
but  all  the  same  we  prefer  the  sub-title,  and  we  have  no  doubt  that 
the  work  will  settle  itself  down  in  the  gardening  world  as  “  Sanders 
Dictionary.” 
It  is  emphatically  a  summary,  and  in  some  instances  a  comprehensive 
one,  as  some  pages  contain  fifty  subjects,  while  the  Rose,  for  instance, 
has  three  closely  packed  pages  all  to  itself.  This  is  not  an  implication 
that  this  is  an  excessive  amount,  for  it  is  clear  the  author  has  sought  to 
economise  space  to  the  utmost  extent  consistently  with  giving  the 
information  conveyed,  or  he  would  not  have  abbreviated  so  many 
words.  The  scientific  and  popular  names  of  plants  are  given,  the 
order  to  which  they  belong,  their  native  country,  when  introduced, 
methods  of  raising,  with  appropriate  soil  and  temperatures ;  but 
the  leading  points  in  cultivation  are  also  given  for  all  important 
crops.  Turning  to  the  Pea  as  an  example,  we  find  (after  the  classification 
founded  on  the  ripe  seeds ;  and  sub-classes,  such  as  Early,  Second  Early, 
Main  Crop,  and  Late  Group)  selections  of  varieties  are  given  in  each,  with 
times  of  sowing  and  gathering ;  manure  formulas,  with  a  compressed 
record  of  routine  work.  It  is  the  same  with  other  crops,  while  the 
culture  of  many  popular  plants  is  epitomised,  some  in  few,  others  in 
many  words,  yet  with  few  words  wasted  ;  while  many,  as  above  noted, 
are  only  half,  or  less  than  half,  printed,  and  yet  readers  will  know  very 
well  what  they  mean. 
We  were  about  to  give  an  extract  for  showing  the  character  of  the 
book,  when  a  letter  arrived  from  the  Secretary  of  a  Gardeners  Improve¬ 
ment  Society  on  the  perennial  subject  of  disputation  as  to  whether  the 
ordinary  so-called  “  bedding  Geraniums”  are  Zonal  Pelargoniums  or  not. 
We  have  probably  answered  the  question  a  hundred  times,  and  now  we 
cite  from  the  work  under  notice  ■ 
Geranium  (Crane’s-bill). — Ord.  Geraniaceac.  Hardy  herbaceous  perennials. 
Nat.  Britain,  Pyrennes,  Italy,  Madeira,  Georgia,  Iberia,  Siberia,  Himalayas, 
Nepaul,  Tauria,  N.  America.  Int.  (foreign  species)  1567.  Ht.  <5  in.  to  6  It. 
Species  cultivated,  about  sixteen.  Flowers,  red,  purple,  violet,  rose,  lilac, 
brown,  black,  blue,  crimson ;  May  to  October.  Soil, _  ordinary  rich,  losition, 
tall  kinds  in  sunny  well  drained  borders,  dwarf  kinds  on  sunny  rockeries. 
Plant,  October,  November,  March,  or  April.  Apply  weak  liquid  manure 
occasionally  to  established  plants  in  flower.  Propagate  by  seeds  sown  one-eighth 
of  an  inch  deep  in  ordinary  soil  in  sunny  position  outdoors  March  or  April,  or 
in  shallow  boxes  of  sandy  soil  in  cold  frame  or  greenhouse  March ;  division  of 
roots,  October,  November,  March  or  April. 
On  turning  to  Pelargoniums  we  find  the  author  has  inadvertently 
departed  from  alphabetical  sequence,  but  that  with  other  small 
accidentals  can  easily  be  rectified  in  the  next  edition. 
Pelargonium  (Fancy,  Show,  Zonal,  Ivy,  and  Scented  Pelargonium, 
Stork’s  Bill  “  Geranium  ” ).— Ord.  Geraniacetc.  Greenhouse  and  hardy  annual, 
bienuial,  herbaceous,  evergreen,  shrubby,  and  tuberous-rooted  perennials. 
Flowering1  and  orn.  foliage.  Nat.  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  Canary  Islands,  laurus, 
Australia.  Int.  first  species  (P.  triste)  1632;  P.  zonale,  .1710 ;  P.  mqumans, 
1714  ;  P.  grandiflorum,  1794  ;  E.  peltatum,  1701.  Ht.  3  in.  to  10  ft.  Gieen- 
house  evergreens. — Zonal :  Leaves  roundish,  cordate,  lobed,  pubescent,  green, 
with  or  without  horse-shoe  mark  near  margin  of  upper  surface.  Sub-classes  : 
Bicolor. — Leaves  green,  edged  with  white,  or  white,  edged  with  green.  Tricolor. 
— Leaves  green,  white,  yellow,  and  crimson.  Bronze. — Yellow  with  bronze 
zone.  (All  these  are  used  for  bedding.)  Specimen  Zonals !  Insert  cuttings  in 
August  or  September,  grow  in  2-inch  pots  until  March,  then  transfer  to  4-inch 
sizes.  Compost  as  above.  Nip  off  point  of  main  shoot  in  March,  also  01  side 
shoots  when  3  inches  long.  Tie  these  firmly  to  wire  fixed  to  rim  of  pot,  and 
allow  young  shoots- to  form  in  centre.  Remove  all  blooms  first  year,  transfer 
to  6-inch  pots  in  May  or  June.  Grow  in  greenhouse  near  glass.  Water  freely 
during  summer,  moderately  in  winter.  Apply  stimulants,  June  to  September. 
Shorten  shoots  two-thirds  hi  January.  When  new  shoots  form  repot.  Nip  off 
points  of  shoots  where  necessary  to  ensure  good  shape.  Compost  as  above. 
Stimulants  for  Zonals :  Nitrate  of  soda,  quarter  ounce  to  a  gallon  of  water, 
applied  once  a  week,  when  soil  is  moist  only,  for  three  or  four  weeks,  then 
cease ;  sulphate  of  ammonia,  same  as  nitrate  of  soda ;  soot- water  (one  peck 
each  of  sneep  and  cowdung,  and  half-peck  of  soot  to  thirty-six  gallons  ot 
water),  diluted  with  half  water,  applied  twice  a  week. 
These  citations  show  (1)  that  Geraniums  are  hardy  herbaceous  plants, 
(2)  that  Zonal  Pelargoniums  for  bedding  and  otherwise  are  greenhouse 
evergreens,  and  (3)  that  the  Encyclopaedia  is  a  dictionary  and  something 
more.  It  is  a  handy  useful  work  of  reference  extending  over  430  closely 
packed  pages,  and  it  is  clear  that  much  research  and  persevering  diligence 
have  been  exercised  in  its  compilation .  The  value  of  the  work  is  in  no 
sense  indicated  by  its  price,  which  we  are  informed  is  only  3s.  6d.,  and 
in  this  respect  we  scarcely  think  the  publishers  pay  their  editor  the 
compliment  to  which  he  is  entitled. 
