24 JANUARY 1958, Page 16

THE NINETIES AND SIXTIES Barton is surely mistaken in declaring

that the Naughty Nineties were 1891-1900? A decade can be any period of ten years and need not begin at any particular -date. Because the first year after some datum would always be called Year One, and never Year Zero, it is true that the nineteenth century began on January 1, 1801, and so did not end until the end of 1900. But how can Mr. Barton say that 1890 is not one of the Nineties, and that 1900 is?— Yours faithfully,

G. STRUAN MARSHALL

29 York Road, Edinburgh, 5