^7S Short Communications. 



which the constitution of the plant may indicate it to need, 

 and with the drain hole of the pot left open at the bottom. 

 When each of the plants most liable to injury from drought 

 has received the apposition of a flower-pot sunk at its base, 

 the watering of all these plants is thenceforth effectible with 

 an increase in the rate of despatch, quite or more than equi- 

 valent, in a drought of some duration, to the first expenditure of 

 time and trouble : besides, too, the valuable satisfaction sup- 

 plied to him who takes this trouble, of feeling conscious that 

 every plant receives the whole, and directly to it roots, of the 

 quantity you may please to pour into the sunk flower-pot ; 

 through the drain hole at the bottom of which the water passes 

 at a rate determined by the degree of absorbency in the soil, 

 without detaining him who supplies it until it has soaked 

 away. — J. Z). 



A Tally for Aquatic Plants. — The kind of tally which I find 

 the best for aquatic plants is formed of a piece of wood, about 

 an inch and a quarter by three quarters of an inch, painted, 

 except the bevelled top, which I rub with white lead (in the 

 manner usual for marking-sticks), pretty thick; I form the 

 number with a black-lead pencil. The length of the tally 

 must be such as to allow four or six inches to stand above the 

 water. It is useful to char the points of the tallies. — H. T. 

 Ellicombe. Vicarage, Bitton., near Bristol, Sept. 9. 1832. 



Tallies for the ordinary soil of gardens, have, with Mr. 

 Claughton of Hasland, near Derby, lasted 25 years, as pre- 

 pared thus : — Make them of thoroughly dried red deal ; soak 

 them for some time in linseed oil ; dry them until the oil is 

 dried off" their surface, and paint them twice with verdigrise 

 paint. — J. D. 



Labels made of malleable zinc deserve to be tried. Zinc 

 rolled in sheets, and to the thickness of a shilling, or rather 

 less, is sold for roofs and many other purposes, at the Western 

 Malleable Zinc Works, Keppel Row, New Road (near 

 Fitzroy Square), London ; and these sheets may, without 

 difliculty, be cut up into labels. On one painted once with 

 white paint, we last winter wrote, while the paint was wet, the 

 words " Glaux maritima," and on another, painted twice, the 

 same words : both are now (May 1 3.), satisfactorily legible. 

 The sheet zinc seems applicable to a great number of econo- 

 mical purposes. It is said to be superior to lead for lightness 

 and durability, and to be sold at half the price. 



Metallic Labels for Plants to be sent abroad. — Sir, 

 Various forms have been given, in this Magazine, for labels 

 for plants. I herewith send you a specimen {fg, 132.), made 



