RECORDING EXPERIMENTS 45 



mixture of lampblack, linseed oil, and a little 

 turpentine, applying the mixture with a small 

 camel's-hair brush. The names of varieties, the 

 parentage, and other important matters are thus 

 recorded. Then, while the paint is still wet, 

 some fine dry sand is sifted over the label so as 

 to protect the paint from the weather. 



In addition to the labels and stakes I have 

 just described, a small cardboard label of light 

 weight is needed for making record of the hy- 

 bridizing experiments. The common cardboard 

 shipping tag about iVz inches by 3 inches in size 

 with a reenforced eyelet hole, is generally used 

 on plants with tender stems ; and where the wind 

 is likely to disturb larger labels, half or two- 

 thirds of the cardboard may be cut off, leaving 

 barely space to inscribe the record. 



Where these tags are used in extensive pollina- 

 tions of many varieties on a single tree, it is not 

 always necessary to write the record, for the same 

 object may be accomplished by cutting off one 

 corner of the card to indicate a certain variety of 

 pollen, and a second corner to indicate another 

 variety; additional varieties being represented 

 by series of notches. Or the same end may be 

 attained by punching holes in the card with a 

 pocket steel punch. This plan saves much time, 

 and the record is more permanent than if it were 



