"G. A. L.," Bryn Mawr, Pa., says: "I take the liberty of asking a botanical question, as I have been kindly referred to you as authority. I desire to obtain the technical and scientific botanical meaning of the word 'Vine.' In botany is ' Vine' the grape-vine, or an application of the name to all climbing, creeping and trailing plants as a designation for convenience only? Is the vine the grape, and not any other? Is the grape-vine the only true vine in botany?

"Any information on this point which you can give me will be very gratefully received".

[If we say "the vine," as a term in classical literature, the word is confined strictly to the grapevine. In strict botanical terminology, the word " vine " has no place. It is, however, custom that gives law to language, and thus, in common botanical language the word has come to mean any weak stem unable to support itself. Thus we have climbing vine, creeping vine, trailing vine, potato vine, and even tomato vine. It is correct from a conventional point of view, though scarcely botanical science. - Ed. G. M].