Re: re tags and labels

At 06:31 AM 4/25/96 MET, LA Mann wrote:
>
>
>
>Louise - Good to hear that labelling rocks works - that was going to be my
>next attempt.  I was thinking of using acryllic paint - have you ever tried
>it?
>
Acrylic paint will probably not last out in the elements, but I have never
tried it. Maybe that outdoor concrete floor paint would last.


>I use cut up cottage cheese/yogurt containers, but they don't hold ink as
>well as store bought plastic labels.
>
>Are these soft pencils something I can get at a walmart/kmart equivalent?  Or
>are they a garden specialty item?
>
>Has anybody tried crayon?
>
>Linda Mann lmann76543@aol.com e tenn usa

Crayon breaks down out in the elements, but a type of crayon known as keel
or lumber crayon will last and is available at hardware or building supply
stores; like the pencils it has lots of carbon and other archival goodies in
it. The lumber crayons are big fat things and will only work on a larger
surface. The less waxy ones last longer.


The pencils I referred to are available in art supply or drafting supply
stores. One brand is General's Layout pencil.  They are not expensive but I
doubt that large department stores carry them simply because in my
experience, they are stingy about the variety of their inventory and only
tend to carry things that "move quickly".  Other places to try would be a
arts and crafts store or a campus bookstore if you are near a college,
especially one that offers art classes.  Another route is to find an artist
friend who orders supplies from a catalog. 

Even a regular no. 2 pencil will outlast anything with ink, including the
so-called permanent markers. The permanent markers do last if the markings
are buried or put on the underside of the rocks.  Incidentally computer
printed labels do not last for beans!  There is no such thing as an archival
printer ink, although the industry is working on one.

Louise H. Parsons  <parsont@peak.org>
Corvallis, OR  USA
USDA zone 7 , Emerald NARGS, AIS, SIGNA, SPCNI, transplanted Oregrowian
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