232 



THE CAJSlDIAN HORTICUL'TURIST. 



jet black in color and approaching the 

 Gregg in size, are piled upon the bushes. 

 It is about one week earlier than the 

 Doolittle (which in years past has been 

 the early market black-cap}, and herein 

 lies its chief value, ripening as it does 

 along with the late varieties of Straw- 

 berries, when fruit is scarce, it just tills 

 in the gap before the red Raspberries, 

 and sells for double the price of Mam- 

 moth Cluster or Gregg, which are ten 

 days or two weeks later. — J. H. Hale, 

 in Farm and Garden. 



ZINC LABELS. 

 Sheet zinc, from its indestructibility, 

 and the ease with which it may be cut 

 and managed, is a favorite material for 

 tree and shrub labels. If cut in the 

 form of a very long tapering wedge, the 

 smaller portion may be coiled around a 

 twig, or small branch, and thus avoid 

 the use of a wire, and where the small 

 end of the label is coiled around a small 

 branch, it will yield to the increase of 

 that in size, and not cause strangulation. 

 The old method with zinc labels was to 

 write upon them with an ink made of 

 some salt of copper, and several have 

 asked for the formula for preparing it. 

 The original ink was made of Verdigris 

 and Sal-ammoniac, of each 2 drams, 

 Lamp-black 1 dram. Water 4 oz. As 

 these need to be well rubbed together, 

 it will be as well to let the apothecary 

 mix them in a mortar. This is to be 

 used with a quill pen upon the surface 

 of zinc that has been made clean and 

 bright by the use of emery paper. We 

 have been informed by our correspon- 

 dent " Horticola " that a strong solu- 

 tion of Sulphate of Copper — " Blue 

 Vitriol," or *' Blue-stone," will answer 

 the same purpose, adding a little gum 

 water to the solution, if need be, to 

 prevent the ink from spreading. The 

 use of the lamp-black in the ink first 

 mentioned, is only to make the ink 

 visible while writing with it. In both 



these cases, the copper is, by chemical 

 action, deposited upon the zinc, and, 

 becoming oxidized, makes a permanent 

 and conspicious writing. Another and 

 much simpler method is simply to write 

 upon a clean zinc surface with a common 

 lead pencil. By the action of the air 

 the zinc becomes tarnished and grayish, 

 while the black lead prevents any such 

 change where the writing is, and though 

 not so conspicious as that written with 

 the ink, is quite as permanent, and 

 being much less trouble is preferable. — 

 American Agriculturist. 



PRUNING ROSES. 

 Roses are better for a little pruning, if 

 it has been previously neglected. This 

 must of course be done with a definite 

 object in view. First, a well shaped 

 bush on top, and also to promote growth 

 to a desired end, as for instance, whether 

 the plant is to be a standard trained on 

 a pillar, or a trellis, a wall, etc. Again 

 some varieties require more pruning 

 than others, but in all pruning the cut 

 should be made so that the terminal 

 bud will be left in position for the most 

 favorable growth, whether right, left or 

 upwards. If a great quantity of bloom 

 is wanted irrespective of size, prune 

 only so as to have the plant in good 

 shape and well furnished. If large 

 bloom is required, after taking out all 

 weak wood, cut the balance back to not 

 more thanthreeorfourbudseach. Some 

 roses as a rule require less cutting in 

 the West than in the East, and for the 

 farm yard all that will be necessary will 

 be to thin each season as may be indi- 

 cated by the previous summer's growth. 

 So-called Hybrid perpetuals (Remont- 

 ants) that bloom in the spring and again 

 in the late summer, may be cut back 

 after the first bloom is over, when they 

 will generally make growth for the au- 

 tumn bloom. 



The Remontants require little pruning 

 in summer. They, however, must have 



