804 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 6, 1892. 
habit of growth, keeping the flowers well up, and especially so in 
the greatly improved seedlings now flowering at the Sparkhill 
Nurseries. The improvement in form, size, and substance is very 
remarkable, viewed as the result of a first cross between the two 
distinct sections. I sent you petals of the scarlet, and it is a very 
fine variety, with an almost smooth edge, fit for any stand of self 
blooms, and the plant is a picture of beauty. Another is a scarlet 
flaked or rather striped flower, for it is not distinctly flaked, as in 
our prize varieties. It also shows greatly improved form and size 
with great breadth of petal, but has a very serrated edge. Another 
is a good maroon purple self, and another a purple striped variety. 
All are double, and a great advance in every way as improved 
Marguerites. Mr. Herbert is again crossing these varieties, and 
will save every flower for seed, but as all our exhibition varieties 
are now out of bloom, and so many flowers of the seedlings have 
yet to open, further crossing will not be easy except from these 
seedlings. 
I unhesitatingly say that there is a great future before this new 
section, for in reality they are to be regarded as annuals in this 
way—seed can be sown in January or February, and the seedlings 
grown so as to be strong flowering plants in the autumn. All other 
Carnations, including the very pretty free blooming bright scarlet 
double Grenadin, have to be treated as biennials—that is, the seed 
sown one year and bloomed the next ; but with the Marguerite 
section, about seven months is sufficient to have strong flowering 
plants from the seed sowing. They should not be kept in warmth 
at any time, but treated in a hardy manner. No doubt the idea 
of improvements by crossing has occurred to others. I have 
not heard of others’ experience. Next year at our Carnation 
shows, if the new race of seedlings can be got into bloom in 
time, Mr. Herbert will be able to show what he is doing, and if 
not then in flower other opportunities will crop up for their 
being seen. 
The Marguerites, Grenadins, and the very beautiful double and 
single varieties of the Heddewigi and laciniatus families of 
Dianthus are all so richly deserving of the attention of amateurs 
that I very strongly recommend their culture, but to be grown in a 
hardy way. The two latter sections should be planted as single plants 
and not in clusters, so that their full beauty may be seen. Seeds 
are easily obtainable.— William Dean. 
FUNCTIONS OF VINE LEAVES. 
Mr. W. Iggulden, in his latest contribution to this subject* 
page 286, has failed to bring forward any weighty arguments in 
support of his theories for two reasons. One is, that he tries, 
by citing exceptional cases to prove his previous assertions ; the 
other, that he shows how in careless hands only the practice he 
condemns may prove a “snare and a delusion.” It is seldom 
indeed that a careless cultivator achieves good results, less often 
great ones, and never lasting cultural successes. Let us, therefore, 
leave out the case of the careless cultivator, and argue on the 
assumption that whatever system is pursued it is intelligently 
carried out. 
Mr. Iggulden is not, I am sure, the man to contend that Yine 
leaves badly infested with red spider are otherwise than injurious 
to the health of a Yine at whatever stage of growth they are allowed 
to establish themselves. The fact that he has been able to produce 
well-coloured Grapes and a thriving colony of this abhorred insect 
on the same shoot was probably because the colouring process was 
almost completed before the red spider was allowed to rest undis¬ 
turbed. Then, again, it depends in a great measure upon the size of 
the bunch as to whether one or four primary leaves were necessary 
to secure perfect colour. Supposing, for the sake of argument, the 
bunch having four leaves beyond it was smaller than that having 
only one, the greater number of leaves may not have been necessary 
to effect the colouring of that particular bunch ; they would, how¬ 
ever, add materially to the health and vigour of the Yine, and by 
helping to maintain a vigorous circulation enable the one primary 
leaf to elaborate a greater quantity of sap than it could do if all 
the shoots had been stopped at one joint beyond the bunch. It is 
easy enough to obtain large bunches and berries for a few years by 
close stopping, but deterioration soon begins. Small and medium 
sized bunches colour well enough with but little growth beyond 
them as long as there is plenty of good leaves on other parts of the 
Vine, but I have never seen a large bunch satisfactory if treated in 
the same way. If Mr. Iggulden succeeds in colouring the bunch of 
Gros Colman he speaks of as perfectly as he usually colours that 
variety his theory will gain credence to a certain extent ; but too 
much reliance ought not to be placed upon solitary instances ; he 
must first prove it to be the rule before we can accept it as a con¬ 
clusive proof. 
Then with regard to the undoubted fact that bunches left on a 
leading growth often produce small berries. This, Mr. Iggulden 
admits, is an extreme case, but that it first set him thinking on the 
subject. I am afraid, however, his active brain did not allow him 
to think quite deep enough to take into consideration how little 
analogy there generally is between the treatment a leader and a 
lateral receives. No doubt it is possible to be too liberal in allow¬ 
ing primary leaves beyond the bunch, especially if the shoots are 
allowed to go unchecked from the start to finish, as is often the case 
with a leader,iextending sometimes to 6 or 7 feet beyond the bunch. 
Compare this treatment with that which the laterals receive, even 
when these go unstopped till they have made four leaves beyond 
the bunch. They are ready for that operation by the time the 
berries commence swelling, and sub-laterals do not make any great 
amount of growth till the stoning process begins ; the fruit would 
then begin to be benefited by the elaborated sap, the leaves up to 
this time not being sufficiently solidified to perform the work of 
elaboration. In the case of a leader, however, the growth would 
be going on just at the time when the sap might, with advantage, 
be forced into the bunches. Some cultivators pursue the excellent 
practice of stopping their leaders when they have made about 
3 feet of growth ; the lateral, which shows at the point, is then 
rubbed out. Th:s causes the main bud to break strongly and grow 
freely. Under this treatment I, and no doubt Mr. Iggulden as 
well, have seen grand bunches with fine berries brought to perfec¬ 
tion, notwithstanding the fact that many feet of growth existed 
beyond the bunch. 
The Muscat Yine rods in the famous vinery I referred to, were, 
as far as I can remember, about 6 feet apart, and the black varieties 
a foot or more less, but I maintain that by growing them at the 
distances apart I have previously stated would not result in a less 
weight of crop per superficial foot of glass, for the extra space 
given to each Yine enables it to perfect a corresponding increase of 
crop. With plenty of foliage and active roots one Yine will carry 
with ease a crop which to another would be ruin. I am inclined 
to think that the majority of cultivators consider active roots and 
the necessity for frequent applications of water a most satisfactory 
state of affairs rather than otherwise ; to me it is a sure indication 
that all is well. Mr. Iggulden, somewhat ingloriously, tries to 
bring in the case of another famous vinery, the Yines in which he 
describes as having “gone wrong,” although treated on exactly the 
same lines as I have advocated. He does not go so far as to 
say they have done so in consequence of having been so treated, 
but he leaves leaders to infer as much. I can readily compre¬ 
hend to what vinery he refers, but I have recently heard, from 
to a most reliable source, that the partial failure is attributed 
quite a different cause. This I was assured to be the case by an 
individual whose ideas on Yine culture are thoroughly well known 
to Mr. Iggulden. 
I am fully convinced that numbers of Yines which get into a 
weak and unsatisfactory state do so to a great extent because they 
are persistently closely stopped, and I am equally certain that 
hundreds of others may and are greatly improved by allowing 
greater freedom of growth, in conjunction with good culture in 
other respects. Under the close stopping system Yines may be at 
their best when six or seven years old. There are, however, many 
Yines which are better at twenty than at six years old. I will 
even go so far as to say that Mr. Iggulden’s Yines have been greatly 
benefited by the practice he now condemns. His strong advocacy 
of close stopping has only recently been adopted, and I think in 
his own practice only partially carried out. When I saw the Yines 
under his charge I found, unless my memory plays me false, young 
rods being taken up from some of them, and the principal rods by 
no means closely disposed ; so that, although his Yines are old, they 
are still satisfactory, because a good deal of extra growth has been 
annually going on, and even this year he has shown that some 
laterals have been allowed to develop five leaves beyond the bunch. 
I fully believe that if he continues for any length of time the 
close stopping he now advocates he will, sooner or later, find it wise 
to abandon the practice.—H. Dunkin. 
I do not wish to intrude myself into the discussion between 
Mr. Iggulden land Mr. Dunkin, at its present stage at any rate, 
but I do think the former might profitably expound his views on 
the two closing lines of his last paragraph, page 286. “ The 
colouring will be satisfactory enough, but something else besides 
good leaves is responsible for that.” This “something else ” many 
persons would, I think, like to know. Mr. William Taylor once 
said in the pages of this Journal that he could undertake to colour 
any Grapes (I am not, however, certain now whether he did not 
allude especially to Black Hamburghs, but I am writing from 
memory), if the Yines were not overcropped and the roots were 
active. For years I wished I knew Mr. Taylor’s secret. I have no 
idea on what principles he worked, but for several years now I have 
