142 



ANNALS OP HORTICULTURE. 



business. The subdivisions of trades into specialties should 

 also be recognized ; there are nurserymen who grow only small 

 fruits, and florists who grow only carnations, etc. It ought to 

 be possible to provide, in a classification, without unnecessary 

 and confusing repetitions or omissions, for everything that 

 would be entered without the frequent addition of i etc,' and 

 the provision of a < miscellaneous ' class." 



"Labeling. — Of the 35 displays of hardy plants made by 

 American exhibitors, not more than four or five had labels 

 that could be read from the walks. The French exhibits, as a 

 whole, were more plainly labeled than those of any other 

 country, and the label in general use served its purpose admir- 

 ably. It was a white celluloid card two by three inches, with 

 a brass eyeleted hole in the center of one of the longest edges, 

 through which a wire was placed to attach it to a tree, or a 

 brass-headed nail to tack it at the upper end of a slender green 

 wooden rod. The size, shape and method of hanging the label, 

 made it possible to write the name horizontally, in letters large 

 enough to be plainly read at some distance. A zinc tag about 

 one by two inches, of similar shape, was also used, but all zinc 

 tags, owing to their color, are difficult to find, and are frequently 

 illegible, owing to poor or carelessly applied ink. In only one 

 exhibit was the ordinary serviceable strong pine stake label 

 used. These were painted black, with white lettering, and 

 served their purpose very well. Rectangular pieces of boards 

 of various sizes, and usually about one-fourth longer horizon- 

 tally than vertically, and nailed at the upper end of a square 

 stake, were used in several exhibits to designate groups or 

 classes, and served their purpose well. These labels were usu- 

 ally painted white and lettered black. There was also in use a 

 similar label, with a printed paper tag stuck to its face and 

 then varnished. It would have been good if the tag had been 

 made to stick. An admirable label for a permanent exhibit, 

 but rather too expensive for a temporary display, was a slightly 

 convex iron plate of rectangular outline with corners rounded. 

 This was screwed to the top of an iron rod at an angle that 

 made it easy to read. The facing and lettering of this label 

 were of enamel, and, of course, it was always legible and unaf- 

 fected by weather. The objections noticed were that the enamel 

 scaled off if the screws were, drawn too tightly, or if the edge 

 was struck a sharp blow with a hard object. The stake was 

 round and was more easily twisted or tipped over on account 

 of the heavy label than it would have been had the end been 

 flattened or pronged. 



" In addition to these labels mentioned, many other kinds 

 were represented^ and nearly all were objectionable in some 



