1796. The Raman tally (fig. 435.), is a suggestion of ours, founded on the principle that all signs, not in general use, are apt to be forgotten by those who use them, when they have been a very short time out of practice. For example, a nurseryman who should use Seton's mode of numbering for his friut trees, must either attend to every thing connected with those numbers himself, or be dependent upon one or more individuals, who might suddenly leave him, or fall into bad health. For this reason, the names of things printed or written on tallies are best; and the next best are Roman or Italian numerals. In the Roman tally the Roman numerals are employed, using the common notch, now universally employed by nurserymen, as a mark for 10; imitating the letter L for 50; making a mark, as nearly as practicable with a knife, on a stick, resembling C, for 100; a Greek D for 500; and M for 1000. The units are supplied by notches from 1 to 9, in the same manner as in the common tally (fig. 431.).
