226 
CHEMICAL GARDEN INK THE JEFFERSON PLUM. 
the good quality of producing a great profu- 
sion of its flowers, which are of large size, and 
come in large bunches. The habit of the 
tree is spreading, and, in general character of 
growth, resembles Crataegus flava, but the 
branches are much less vigorous and more 
thorny. The flowers are white, and are pro- 
duced freely at the beginning of summer ; 
they are succeeded by yellow fruit, slightly 
tinged with red. The leaves die off in the 
autumn, of an intensely deep red, which ren- 
ders the tree very conspicuous. The present 
plant is figured in Loddiges' Botanical Cabi- 
net, under the name of Crataegus spinosissima; 
and is there stated to be a native of the south 
of Europe, but more recent accounts regard 
it as an hybrid, raised in the Hammersmith 
Nursery about (or before) 1820. 
We may take the opportunity which now 
offers of again drawing attention to the merits 
of this genus of hardy trees. Whether space 
is limited or unlimited, Thorns are in cha- 
racter, either in company with other trees or 
grouped by themselves. The capabilities of 
the genus, as regards its usefulness in orna- 
mental planting, must be obvious, when it is 
recollected that every form which trees in 
their varied growth assume, here finds its 
representative — the fastigiate, the pyramidal, 
the compact or somewhat globular, the dif- 
fuse, the horizontal, and the drooping, are all 
represented by different members of the fa- 
mily of Crataegus. 
THE CHEMICAL GARDEN INK. 
It is not too much to say, that a good kind 
of garden label is a desideratum. There are 
very numerous kinds in use, all perhaps 
adapted more or less perfectly for particular 
purposes, but none which are so obviously 
and generally appropriate and useful, as to 
admit of being unconditionally recommended. 
For large (especially permanent) labels, wood 
is not durable enough ; iron is too expensive, 
and soon corrodes ; zinc also does not " stand" 
well; and earthenware (of which class Bourne's 
label is a very neat thing) is too brittle, and is 
also expensive. Slate seems the best material 
for this use. But a much more numerous 
class, is that of the small labels which are re- 
quired for plants in pots, for using when seeds 
are sown, and when cuttings are planted, and 
for other minor purposes. For the commer- 
cial and the practical gardener, wood answers 
best for these uses ; but the trouble of cutting 
them, and the inconvenience of having to rub 
them with wet paint, when written on (which 
is necessary to render the writing durable) 
show them to be unsuited for amateur and 
lady horticulturists. Zinc appears to be the 
best material for their use, inasmuch as they 
can be purchased ready cut to any size, and 
require only to be written on with proper ink, 
and a quill pen. A good ink for this purpose 
has, however, not been provided for sale until 
recently; or at least, what has been prepared 
for sale had this objection, that it took some 
time before the writing became legible, and 
even then it was not very clear and distinct. 
This deficiency has been now supplied. Messrs. 
Burrows and Thorn have prepared what they 
call a " Chemical Garden Ink" for the pur- 
pose of writing on zinc, or other metallic sur- 
faces, and which has the recommendation of 
becoming fixed of a clear black colour, almost 
instantaneously. We have had an opportunity 
of using this ink, and speak from experience, 
as to its becoming very distinct and legible as 
soon as written. We have not had time 
enough to test the statement which is made, 
that it is " unaffected by weather" but we 
have seen that the simple act of nibbing the 
recent writing (that is, after it has fairly dried) 
with a wet finger, improves its clearness, and 
that it does not rub off in this way. The ink 
is a clear yellow fluid, and as it flows from 
the pen seems almost colourless upon the 
surface of the metal, which, however, soon 
changes black by the chemical action of the 
ink on its clear surface. The only prepara- 
tion required by the labels, is to rub them 
with fine sand-paper, until they acquire a 
clean shining surface ; this preparation is, 
however, essential, as from the greasy nature 
of the surface of ordinary zinc, the fluid will 
not flow on it unless this greasiness is re- 
moved. It also appears to be essential to per- 
form the writing with a quill pen, as the use 
of a metal pen would interfere with the action 
of the ink on the surface of the zinc. It is 
stated of it, that it is " uninjured by heat, 
frost, or wet ; ifcis, in fact, improved by wash- 
ing with water when dry. It is nearly colour- 
less, and not corrosive, and therefore recom- 
mends itself particularly for the use of ladies." 
When the labels have been used, and are re- 
quired again for other plants, it is only neces- 
sary to rub them again with fine sand paper, 
which removes the previous writing entirely, 
and leaves the label ready prepared for being 
used again in a similar way. From our own 
observation of this ink, so far as it has gone, 
we think it is superior to any other that has 
been prepared ; and from its cleanliness, and 
harmlessness too, we think it is particularly 
suited for the use of ladies and other amateur 
cultivators. 
THE JEFFERSON PLUM. 
This is a new variety of great excellence — 
so much so, that it is a question whether or . 
