i885- 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



79 



bunches, of a greenish-white color, covered with a 

 fine bloom. Berries round and very persistent, 

 medium in size, and of excellent refreshing quality. 

 Taking all things into consideration, 1 regard it 

 as the best white grape so far offered to the pub- 

 lic. Of much better quality than either Pockling- 

 ton or Niagara, with not the faintest trace of foxi- 

 ness in its composition. Its strong constitution, 

 fine showy delicate bunches, coupled with its good 

 quality, speak volumes for its success. Like Mr. 

 Campbell, I also regard it as a desirable new 

 variety of more than passing excellence. 



Rochester, N. \. 



ZINC LABELS. 



BY J. R. S. 



I send you specimens of a method of using zinc 

 labels for roses, herbaceous plants, &c. 1 have 

 used them (zinc labels) for more than twenty 

 years with great satisfaction on trees, and recently 

 have tried them for roses, &c. by inserting the 

 ends in the ground, but they are very liable to get 

 covered up or displaced when cultivating the 

 plants. This plan obviates that difficulty and 

 makes a cheap and permanent label. The rods 

 for support are of |4^-inch iron l8 inches long, so 

 tough that the loops can be turned cold. Having 

 a supply of that kind of rods on hand, I make 

 them myself and can complete fifty of them in an 

 afternoon ready to receive the labels, which are 

 obtained from the tinman at the cost of one dollar 

 per hundred. These are made 5 '^f mches long by 

 \Y% inches wide, giving room for the name of the 

 plant in large letters and leaving space for remarks 

 on the class, color, date of planting, &c. 



The stoutest fence wire would probably do in- 

 stead of the X-inch rods I use. Rahway, N. J. 



[The zinc labels are written on by' an ordinary 

 lead pencil. At first it is barely traced by the eye, 

 but gets blacker with age, and is indelible. In 

 orchard trees we have found the eye of the label 

 to wear out very easily when in contact with the 

 copper wire. If a brass eyelet could be punched 

 into the zinc eye-hole, it would be an additional 

 advantage we believe to the excellent hint of our 

 correspondent.^Ed. G. M.] 



introduce into Alaska? It is noteworthy that 

 Heard's Island, which is even more remote and 

 bleak than Kerguelen or Desolation Island itself, 

 has a species of wild cabbage, valued by mariners 

 and seal-catchers as an article of food. Fuegia, 

 where the excellent bishop of the Falkland Islands 

 is conducting a successful and very interesting 

 missionary work, ought to be a good place for the 

 Pringlea to thrive in, and in no country is such a 

 plant more needed. 



If I remember rightly, Mr. Darwin found in 

 Soutnern Patagonia a very palatable wild celery. 

 Now, since our cultivated celery is said to be the 

 offspring or development of a wild plant which is 

 scarcely palatable, why should not the wild Pata- 

 gonian plant be capable of a desirable improve- 

 ment in cultivation? Novelties in the market- 

 garden are always in order. , 



I lately had an interview with a gentleman who 

 has visited Patagonia. He states that no country 

 in the world promises better for cattle-ranching 

 than the northern two-thirds of that region. The 

 climate is good, the country grassy and well wa- 

 tered, with good harbors, and few wild animals, 

 except Indians. Merchaniville, N. J. 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



INTRODUCTION OF NEW VEGETABLES. 

 BY FILIX. 



Why would not the Kerguelen-Land Cabbage 

 (Pringlea antiscorbutica) be a valuable plant to 



American Apple Trade.— A correspondent of 

 the London Gardening World regrets that Eng- 

 land will have to spend ten million dollars in 

 American apples this winter, but finds some con-: 

 solation in the thought that the apples will be 

 brought to England in English vessels, and thus 

 this part of the money will remain in England, 

 and the profits also are included in these millions, 

 which the English will also retain. Just how 

 much of the ten miUions will come to the United 

 States is not stated. 



Corner in Oranges.— Not a commercial " cor- 

 ner " exactly, but a safe corner in a cold room, is 

 the latest project in Florida. Now they have to 

 be sent to market when ready, and sold at any 

 price that can be got for them. It is proposed to 

 form a company and get an immense building, 

 kept cool, so that the oranges need not be mar- 

 keted till the several gluts are over. 



Celery, Early Arlington.— This is spoken 

 well of by Boston people. It is a short, stocky 

 variety, of similar appearance to the well-known 

 Boston Market. 



