401 
to 80 feet long, with sides 10 feet high to the wall-plates, and a 
gable raised another few feet in the centre, will answer the pur- 
pose on a vineyard of 60 to 70 acres. 
In this all the machinery and fermenting vessels can be com- 
fortably lodged. 
One more condition must not be overlooked: the fermenting 
shed must be one apart from the maturing cellars, lest the germs 
of fermentation which, during wine making, float about in abund- 
ance in the air get access to and disturb the wine of previous years. 
As a good deal of water is used about the fermenting shed, 
both before and during wine making, the surroundings should be 
so drained that there is no accumulation of dirty liquids, which 
would foul the air. The building should not be damp, as moulds 
are not only injurious to casks and other wooden vessels, but alse 
cause the wine to become tainted during future keeping. 
A concrete floor with a slight fall and drains to permit flushing 
with water is desirable, and in order to carry the traffic it should 
be laid with some care. Such a floor consists of three essential 
parts :— 
(1.) A porous foundation, for drainage and because of the 
swelling and contraction of the earth, 
(2) The body, which furnishes strength and supports the 
third part. 
(3) The surface, which receives the wear. 
The first is cinders free from ashes, or coarse sand free from 
clay, loam, and vegetable fibre; the second, cement concrete; the 
third a mixture of cement and sand—the water used should be 
fresh. The proportion of sand, cement, and stone vary as 
1—2—4 or 1—3—5, It should be at least 3 inches thick, 1.e., 
21% inches in the body and half-inch surface, which is composed 
of mortar alone, not so wet as in the concrete. No more concrete 
or mortar should be mixed than can be used at once. 
To prevent cracking it is advisable to make the floor up in 
separate slabs. Deposit the foundation and wet and ram to a 
solid bed. On the foundation set guides of boards set on edge and 
of the desired depth, and lay the concrete. The next day remove 
the guides between the slabs and fill in the spaces, first placing 
strips of tarred paper or felt against the edges of the slabs already 
completed. Leave the top rough to receive the surface, which is 
finished with a trowel if a smooth finish is wanted or with the float 
if it is desired to have a surface that is less slippery. 
The floor should be protected from the direct rays of the sun 
to reduce evaporation, and spzinkled and kept moist for a few days, 
when it may be put into service. 
