28 Zi7ic Labels for Trees. 



would render the surface too smooth. Apply the paint thin, 

 with a common painter's brush ; the newer it is the better. 

 Let the paint dry, in a clear sun, a week at least, when 

 another coat may be added. This should be suffered to re- 

 main a fortnight, if possible, in order to acquire greater hard- 

 ness before being cut ; otherwise the edges will be rough, paint 

 being apt to peel from metallic surfaces when first applied. 



The zinc may now be cut into pieces, two inches long by 

 one wide, and punched at least half an inch from one end of 

 each tally, in order to allow of some wear from the wire used 

 to attach it to the tree. The best wire is made of copper. 

 Narrow strips of sheet lead are sometimes used, but, besides 

 being more clumsy, they are not stiff enough. Iron rusts 

 away in a very short time, besides not being so tough as cop- 

 per. No. 23 copper wire may be bought for 50 cents per 

 pound, which will cut into 640 pieces of 8-inch lengths. 



From the liability of the tallies to twist off a fine wire in 

 high winds, this size is none too large. The French nursery- 

 men mark their trees, when sent out of the nursery, with bits 

 of lead a half inch square, having a number stamped on each, 

 and for such mercantile purposes, find a much finer wire suf- 

 ficient. But when it is desirable to write the name of the 

 tree in full, which is generally the case when a tree is planted 

 out, more surface is required, and of course a larger wire is 

 necessary to prevent its being broken by the wind. It is a 

 better way yet, to rest the tally against a twig, or, if the tree 

 be small, and without convenient twigs, to bend the wire 

 round the stem and tally together, for the first year, taking 

 care to guard against rubbing on the written side. This will 

 prevent the friction of the wire on the zinc, which is some- 

 times so great as to cause the tally to drop and be lost. 



The best material for writing upon the tally, is a common 

 black-lead pencil. It is not only the most convenient, but 

 perfectly durable, time rendering the marks almost inefface- 

 able. If the pencil be tolerably hard, and cut to a fine point, 

 you can write many things on a very small surface. Besides 

 the name of the tree, other memoranda, as one may wish, 

 may be noted at the time of planting, and afterwards, as in 

 grafting anew, making experiments, &c. They may in this 

 way be made to relate their own history to many generations, 



