Zinc Labels for Trees. 



29 



and, though nature alone can give them " tongues," art can 

 give them tallies, the inscriptions on which will often be more 

 interesting to the amateur, (to his shame be it said,) than the 



higher and more mysterious language of 



nature. 



We are obliged to Mr. Owen for a com- 

 munication of his mode of making zinc 

 labels, which was the plan we had reference 

 to in our remarks appended to the article of 

 Mr. Phillips, (XII. p. 426.) 



Accompanying the above, Mr. Owen sent 

 us several specimens of the labels, an en- 

 graving of which we have annexed, {fig. 

 1.) showmg the size and form. The 

 specimens show the effect of the paint- 

 ing when properly or improperly mix- 

 ed. One, with mastic in excess, does not 

 take the pencil mark readily. Another, 

 with copal in excess, takes it rather better, 

 though quite indistinct, both having too 

 glossy a surface ; a third, painted one coat, 

 in proper proportions, in August, written 

 upon November 23, and exposed to the 

 weather until December 10th, gives the 

 pencil mark such permanence, that it can 

 only be removed by the aid of sand. A 

 fourth specimen shows the effect of wetting 

 the surface of the label when the writing 

 is made, which gives it a blacker and more 

 distinct mark. One label, written upon m 

 1841, but twisted off by the gale of Sep- 

 tember last, has the mark as distinct as those that have not 

 yet been exposed to the weather. To show how much may 

 be written upon one label, we copy the following from one 

 sent us by Mr. Owen, and occupying only a portion of one side. 



Beurr6 Diel. Planted Nov. 21, 1841 ; proved spurious. Grafted Aug. 13, 

 1842 ; bore in 1845. 



We have only one cautionary remark to make, — that is, that 



Fig. 1 . Zinc Lab el 

 for Trees. 



