Norwich bulletin., 1910-02-05

There is lot of hornbeam growing
in the woods hereabouts Some 1um-
bermen can it ''ironwood." There are
also a few blue beeches. Some lum-
bermen call this latter "ironwood."
Tree books admit the use of the name
for both in different localities. The
two woods are alike or very nearly so
in point of hardness; in other ways
quite different. Hornbeam saplings
make good sled stakes and ''pries" or
''handspikes.'' They're not only hard.
but stiff and tough. Blue beech, such
as grows with us, is apt to be crooked.
more or less knobby, and always rath-
er brittle. If send my man off to cut
a new 'sironwood'' stake for the old
sled and he comes back with a piece
of blue beech because that is what he
understands by the name. have to
wait till he can cut another of the
right sort. Our misuse of names has
done no good and has delayed the
game Certainly 'ihornbeam'' is just
as easy a word to speak as 'ironwood."
We don't save anything in words by
our contempt for accuracy, and we risk
losing time.
have a row of tai! blue flowers of
which I am very proud along one or
my garden borders Some seedsmen
phinium." Note that extra 81" in the
last spelling. I've tried. several times,
to learn which is the right spelling and
how the word ought to be pronounced;
cares enough about accuracy to tell me.
So I cut the Gordian knot by calling
the things "taII larkspurs,' which 1
suppose they are, but am not really
cock-sure. By the way, Mr.. Cowee, of
Berlin, n. Y, the great giadtoius
grower tells me that this latter name
is properly pronounced by making the
al" in the second syllable long and ac-
third syllable. it's glad die-olus,"
not "g1adi- owe-1us." And purists as
sure me that the common early spring
flower which you'll soon be hunting Vol
untown over to get should be accent
ed on the first, not the second syllable
TRAILING ar-butus.'
Many years ago my mother was CIV
en- by some well meaning neighbor a
slip of a rather neat, vine like runner,
flowers. 1t was understood to be new
thing, and had some fancifut, fine
name. For several seaconS she grew it
in a pos. Then, one summer, 1T got
loose. It's been running wild ever
since. and has become the confound-
eldest pest I have IN my gardens and
nearby fields 1t turns out to be just
catsfoot or ground ivy, and seven men
who could kill quack- grass couldn't
even discourage the stuff when it gets
going. It grows we'll in open ground;
thrfves in thick turf; likes MANFRED
land. but will do very well, thank you,
makes a thick mat above ground if
the season is wet and fills the soil with
felted roots when the weather is dry;
enjoys being p1owed under and is much
improved by being hoed UP. Every
spring I have the tussle of the year
with 1t, and shall have as long as I
am here to meet this spring. All be-
cause somebody once called it "Blue-
eyed Betsy" whom we'd never heard of
and took as a friend, instead of by its
real name, when we should have known
it as the enemy it is.
IL isn't necessary for US to use, in
common speech, the long, Jaw break
plants. True, these Latin names for
families and genera and species are by
no means SO arbitrary and so difficult
as many imagine. They almost inva-
we use EN- or not, it won't do any of us
any harm to know some of them. Take
that gladiolus for instance; the word
comes from one in Latin meaning a
Of the sword-shaped leaves of the
plant. There's the aster, too; we don't |
kick at using that name, yet it's
Latin, without the change of
tifully applicable to the star-shaped
flowers of the plant. T like also, to |
know that he's talking about dande- /
lion when some long-haired professor
reels OH a yarQ or SO ABOUT TaraXa- |
cum dens -leonis,' and to be able to !
come back at him with a casual ref
srence to nv experiences with the I
worriting "Chrysanthemum Leucan-
themum." 1t helps keep my end up, |
you know.
don't believe in using this kind of |
language recklessly, and every day. |
however The common names are good |
enough for weekdays, anyway. But it !
does seem to me as if it was worth !
while to try and keep these common |
names straight. OF course, it's not a |
very important matter; the potatoes |
will grow and yield about the same |
doubtless, whether you can them po- |
tatoes or tubers or murphies or Soda |
mum tuberosunn. You may even call |
them gravel stones, if you see fit. But |
when you go to market, it will often be |
better to use the right name; may pre- |
vent misunderstanding
THE FARMER