June 26, 1864. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
503 
strange when one read?, that according to eminent authorities, bleeding 
is very weakening to the Vines. Then again, another house in which the 
Vines are planted so that the roots are both inside and out, and which 
has a border that from its situation is always very damp, even inside, 
which only gets what is given it, and is not exposed to the rains of heaven, 
shows almost no signs of bleeding, though only pruned about a month 
before being started again. 
The Vines in this house though healthy and strong cannot compare 
with those in the first-mentioned house which bleed so much. In fact, 
under all conditions of borders I have seen Vines bleed very profusely ; 
and, again, at other times bleeding has sometimes, when it might reason¬ 
ably have been expected to occur, been absent. That any hard-and-fast 
rule can be laid down regarding its appearance or non-appearance seems 
impossible. 
Styptics when carefully applied are effectual in preventing bleeding, 
but in the cases mentioned the Vines have not been so treated for somo 
years, as experience seemed to teach that the Vines were quite strong 
enough in spite of the bleeding, which according to some is so injurious. 
The very latest Vines which are started almost immediately after prun¬ 
ing have styptic applied, but I think even this might be dispensed with. 
Unnatural as it seems to be that no injury should be done to Vines 
by the loss of so much sap, it appears that as much can be said on the 
one side as the other, and experience also lends its aid to make a decision 
pn the question well nigh impossible. Certain it is that Vines which 
bleed profusely every year can be pointed out as examples of strength 
and fruitfulness. It is desirable that experience should be recorded with¬ 
out the writers absolutely taking in hand to assert that their special theory 
on the matter is the right one. Dogmatic assertions that so and so does 
so and so, cannot obtain in regard to Vines bleeding. Experience teaches 
that the subject should be approached in a spirit of mutual inquiry and 
consultations, and not in a spirit of self-assertion and contradictory 
effusion.—S. 
Mr. Waiting’s first statements on this subject were plain, it is true, 
but is it unjustifiable to ask for proof of statements which, to say the 
least of it, are open to dispute, and which he, instead of proving, has gone 
far to disprove ? In his first notes he says water is the cause of Vines 
bleeding ; now he says that if the wood be properly ripened before 
pruning they will not bleed. Surely Mr. Waiting has placed himself in a 
dilemma, for according to his theory water will not cause Vines to bleed 
unless the wood has not been properly ripened before pruning ; hence 
improper pruning and not water is the cause of Vines bleeding. 
But what of his next statement, coming from one who gives advice, to 
think more “ pruning is an evil.” May 1 ask from what point of view is 
it so ? Mr. Waiting seems here to be reasoning from false premisses. 
Even if unskilful pruning be one of the causes of bleeding, yet it does not 
follow that pruning is therefore an evil. Perhaps Mr. Waiting had 
better take the advice he gives and think more, and if he was also to read 
more carefully he might find many questions in my notes to which he 
has given no answer. Before bidding farewell to Mr. Waiting I would just 
remind him that it takes more than nine bunches 13 inches long to form 
a chain of 11 feet. 
Since I have taken objection to Mr. Waiting’s theory in regard to 
Vines bleeding perhaps there are some ready to ask if I have any better 
theory to offer. In reply to such I will offer one or two suggestions. I 
believe that bleeding arises from many different circumstances or com¬ 
binations of circumstances. The wood improperly ripened is perhaps 
one of the greatest causes, and great care should be taken during summer 
and autumn to see that laterals are kept well stopped-in, so that all the 
light possible may be admitted to help to ripen the wood. Pruning too 
early or too late will also tend to have the same effect. If the border has 
been allowed to become dry, and is then given a thorough drenching of 
water and little fire heat to dry the house, this will also tend to stimulate 
bleeding. These, with many others, are the causes, but of no one 
separately can it be said that it is “ the ” cause.— Justitia. 
Mr. Waiting has proved quite enough for me. If powdered alum is so 
effectual I should have thought he would have used it for his own Vines 
that bled to their inj ury, for it seems incredible to me that any practical 
man should risk the loss of his crop from severe bleeding when the simple 
application of alum 'would have stopped it. The fact is Mr. Waiting 
appears to have got out of his depth on this subject, and he changes or 
modifies his opinions every week. Mark his statement now—-that “ Strong 
Vines bleed because they are full of sap,” and weak ones because of “ their 
inability to appropriate the excess of moisture.” Wherein lies the 
difference in the two cases, and how could any Vine appropriate an 
“ excess” of anything ? Mr. Waiting’s statements indicate a confusion of 
ideas on the subject.— Non Believer. 
THE MARSH MARIGOLDS. 
This is a small family of plants, all of which are great lovers of 
water, but yet not aquatics. They delight to have their roots in the 
water and to spread their branches and brilliant flowers to the breeze, 
and are found naturally in marshy boggy places or on the margins of 
running streams or lakes. This will at once teach us how to use them 
in the garden, and many an ugly pond may be made attractive by the 
judicious use of these and other bog plants ; in fact, such spots may be 
turned into an ever-changing picture with but little trouble or expense. 
There the dragon-flies and butterflies will come and disport themselves 
amongst the beautiful flowers, enriching the effect with their quaint 
forms and splendid colours, whilst the chirp of the grasshopper and the 
soft little song of the sedge-warbler all combine to make us exclaim 
“ Oh, Fortune I only bless me thus, ’tis all I ask below. 
I do not need the gold that serves for luxury and show ; 
A quiet home, where birds will come, with freedom, fields, and trees, 
My earliest hope, my latest prayer, have coveted but these." 
There is little or nothing to add respecting the Marsh Marigolds. 
Planted in such places as we have already described, all that will be 
necessary is to see that they do not crowd out any less robust-growing 
plants, or that others do not crush them. 
Caltha palustris. —This fine plant is commonly known as the Marsh 
Marigold, and more rarely by the name of May-blobs. The small 
unopened flowers are sometimes pickled and used as substitutes for 
capers. It is a stout erect-growing plant, with hollow stems and entire 
kidney-shaped leaves, which are toothed on the edge and bright shining 
green in colour ; flowers large, rich golden yellow. It attains a height 
of about 2 feet, and commences to open its blooms in the month ot 
April, continuing in favourable seasons in full beauty into August. 
Native of Europe, North America, Western Asia, and takes first rank in 
our British flora. 
C. palustris flore-pleno. —In no respect different from the normal 
type, saving that the flowers are double, which to those w T ho are partial 
to these forms is a great acquisition, and there can be no doubt it is very 
showy and effective. Britain. 
C. palustris flore-pleno monstrosus. —The flowers of this form are 
very large, exceedingly double, and bright golden yellow in colour, quite 
distinct fiom the preceding. Britain. 
C. polypetala, —A species I have not seen. It is described as a very 
fine showy plant, growing upwards of 18 inches high, and producing 
large golden-yellow flowers, which measure upwards of 2 inches in 
diameter. Caucasus.—W. G. T, 
VICTORIA SPINACH AND EARLY NANTES CARROT. 
The demand for Spinach in most establishments renders frequent 
sowings through the summer months imperative in order to maintain a 
supply, and this from drought and in shallow soils is of a precarious cha¬ 
racter. As the ordinary Bound or Summer is so prone to run to seed without 
forming much leaf, and this being the edible part of the plant, any addi¬ 
tion thereto is of consequence. This we have in Victoria or Improved 
Round, which has leaves fully twice the size, and the plant remains fit 
for use quite ten days longer. It is a valuable acquisition, and is sent 
out by Messrs. Veitch. 
Early Nantes Carrot. —This is a great improvement upon the 
Early Horn, and is a very desirable kind, coming into use quickly, being 
very little later than French Forcing, the roots being larger than that 
variety, and though somewhat stump-shaped are longer than Early Horn, 
the shape being good, and the colour bright red and regular ; but the 
chief characteristic of this Carrot is the smallness of its core, which 
enhances its excellent quality, and the flavour is mild. It is the best of 
early Carrots.—G. A. 
THOUGHTS ON CURRENT TOPICS. 
I don’t think I should have either troubled myself or the 
readers of the Journal this week with any mental cogitations, 
hat for the feeling that had I kept my “ thoughts to myself 
“ Non-Believer ” might consider me discourteous and himself 
neglected. _ 
I am emphatically a man of peace; he, seemingly, a man ot 
war. He enjoys a tilt with the pen, evidently, and if he does not 
pride himself on his ’cuteness my “ thoughts are inaccurate. 
His style I rather like, the more so as it is not borrowed, but a 
hybrid of his own raising-a cross, it may be timidly suggested, 
between Carlyleism andThackerayism—not quite rugged enough 
for one, nor delicately pungent enough of the other; still it is 
lively, and that is something in this dull and prosy era of 
literature. _ 
On reading the note of “ Non-Believer” on page 401—a per¬ 
fectly fair note by the way, and to which I have not the slightest 
objection—I felt a little muddled about the “old and “new 
systems of Vine-pruning, as to when the old one expired and the 
new was born. There ought to be dates, I think, to such im¬ 
portant events, solemnly recorded and jealously preserved in the 
archives at South Kensington, as that I think I. have seen 
described as the “head-quarters of horticulture in this country. 
Then, again, I feel a difficulty in comprehending the point of 
departure between the two systems. The question seems to 
resolve itself into one of figures, but unfortunately they have 
a shifting tendency. I thought it slightly hypercritical to cavil 
between “ 8 and ‘J feet” and “ 12 feet,” as the proper length to 
prune Vine rods, and I think so yet. What is the exact and 
orthodox length of the “new” plan and the extreme limit to 
which the “old ” is restricted? Until that is defined criticism 
