270 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND C01TAGE GARDENER. t September w, mso. 
singly in 5-inch pots, and the weaker in opposite pairs in 6-inch pots, the 
former destined for the house heated with flues. When about 6 inches high and 
before becoming much rootbound place the plants singly in 12-inch pots, allow¬ 
ing room for a liberal top-dressing to he given when the first cluster of fruit is 
set, stand the pots close together and train accordingly. A strong bottom heat 
is unnecessary, but the nearer the pots are to the flues the quicker will the crops 
mature, and, what is of great importance, the greater will be the amount of 
water required at the roots. The pairs may be planted out in the side beds pre¬ 
pared exactly the same as if for Cucumbers, training the plants about 18 inches 
apart. Afterwards treat them in each house, as far as temperature and mois¬ 
ture at the roots are concerned, similarly to Cucumbers. Suitable soil consists 
of two parts turfy loam to one of partially decomposed manure, using it rather 
fine for the seedlings, and roughly broken up for strong established plants. 
Cuttings may be inserted round the sides of well-drained 6 or 8-inch pots, and 
afterwards treated similarly to the seedlings. The simplest and most profitable 
plan is to grow them with one stem only if sturdy, rubbing out all side shoots, 
and if weak stopping the laterals at the first joint. It is a great mistake to 
starve the young plants in order to make them fruitful, as they never fairly 
recover from the effects of it. A fresh batch of plants should be raised early in 
the new year to replace the old exhausted plants, and from these probably will 
be taken the most remunerative crops. Frequent top-dressings and plenty of 
liquid manure are very invigorating to the Tomatoes. Hathaway’s Excelsior 
and Earley’s Defiance are two of the most profitable varieties to grow, the latter 
being the heaviest cropper, but scarcely so attractive in appearance as the former. 
It may be found necessary to impregnate the blooms during the dull winter 
months. The width of the house, 70 feet long, intended for Tomato-growing 
may be about 10 feet, allowing a 3-feet-6-inches pathway through the centre, the 
rest to be taken up by the pits. A flow and return 4-inch pipe for bottom heat 
in each pit, and the same on each side of the house for top heat, will be sufficient. 
The house to be span-roofed, and if possible running from north to south, and 
might at any time be utilised for Melon and Cucumber-growing. Or if you 
prefer it the house may be 15 feet wide and span-roofed. This would allow space 
for a centre pit 6 feet wide to be heated with two flow and one return pipe, to 
hold four rows of plants 18 inches apart in the rows, to be supported by stakes. 
There could be a 2-foot pathway round the pit, and the rest of the space to be 
taken up by the side pits in which to have the plants for fruiting up the roof. 
Three pipes, two flows and one return, arranged one above the other round the 
outside of the centre pit, would be sufficient for top heat. One pipe if it could 
be so arranged would be sufficient bottom heat for the side pits. Such a house 
ought to grow a great weight of Tomatoes, and it would make a capital plant 
house at any time. In your district probably a taste for Tomatoes has yet to be 
created, and therefore it is advisable to proceed somewhat cautiously. At the 
present time the London markets are over-supplied with them, one salesman alone 
having had a ton weight to dispose of on one day. These are grown principally 
in houses devoted to the propagating, bedding, and other plants for the markets 
in the spring. From March up ,to June Tomatoes are in great demand in 
Loudon. If a good market is found for Cucumbers, we advise that half the 
space at command be given up to them, at all events for the present. 
Names of Fruit (T. S.). —1, Belgian Purple; 2, Washington; 3, Drap 
d’Or ; 4, Emerald Drop. (IF. D. Paine). —Red Autumn Calville. {Sarnia ).—- 
Cumberland Favourite. (Epps box ).—Your Plum appears to be Lawson’s Golden 
Gage. ( F . IF. Warren). —The Strawberry is the Royal Hautbois. (Hurst & Son). 
—1, Hawthornden ; 2 and 6, Claygate Pearmain ; 5, Dumelow's Seedling. The 
others we cannot determine in their present green state. (IF. H. D., South Wales). 
—The Pear is Comte de Lamy. 
Names of Plants (F. IF.).—Clematis tubulosa. 
POULTRY, PIGEON, AND BEE CHRONICLE. 
SHED ACCOMMODATION FOE CATTLE. 
Haying on previous occasions referred to the best methods of 
feeding cattle we now propose to avoid that part of the subject 
in a great measure, in order to give more direct attention to the 
accommodation whereby the animals may best be cared for under 
cover, or partially so. There are several modes advocated by men 
of experience in different parts of the kingdom, and these may be 
enumerated as box feeding, stall feeding, shed and yard feeding, 
and covered yard accommodation. It is not easy on many estates 
for the tenant to obtain such buildings as are really necessary for 
carrying on the business of the winter feeding of cattle success¬ 
fully. In various instances the proprietor cannot afford the cost 
of new erections in connection with farmsteading. In some cases 
even strong prejudices interfere and prevent such improvements 
as are desirable ; and it is unfortunately the fact, whatever may 
be the cause, that although much has been done during the last 
twenty years towards improving farm buildings generally, yet if 
we observe the state and condition of them in almost any part of 
the country there is a serious and lamentable deficiency in the 
arrangements, which should enable the occupier to carry out his 
business with advantage whilst engaged in the production of 
meat and manure. We will not further enlarge upon the subject, 
but enter upon the details of our own practice and that of others 
of experience whose doings may be safely relied on. 
We will allude first to boxes as the means of accommodation 
for stock, and under somewhat varying circumstances. To erect 
new buildings is very expensive, the cost being more by from 25 
to 30 per cent, than it was twenty or thirty years ago ; it is well 
therefore to look over existing buildings carefully to ascertain 
whether any of them can be altered and improved. When we 
have found homesteads out of repair we have frequently altered 
them, and with new and improved internal arrangements have 
increased the value of the buildings at a cost but little exceeding 
the cost of necessary repairs. We have, for instance, arranged 
most convenient boxes for feeding cattle by internal fittings in 
an old barn, and there are probably few new buildings which 
offer superior advantages, especially when thatched, for such 
boxes are cool in summer and warm in winter. A certain 
amount of warmth or evenness of temperature is of the greatest 
importance to hairy animals like cattle, for they are unlike sheep, 
which are kept warm by their woolly covering ; besides w’hich it 
is now well understood that warmth is equivalent in the winter 
months to so much food, hence the economy obtained by box 
accommodation. On various occasions we have introduced move- 
able fittings in the barns, so that corn may be secured in them, 
which may be thrashed out early enough for the fittings to be 
replaced, and the boxes occupied by fatting cattle during the 
winter and spring months. The advantages of this plan are self- 
evident. 
We will now state our plan of arrangements, which is to raise 
a feeding path 4 feet wide down the middle of the mows of the 
barn, leading out of the old barn floor, which is utilised for the 
store of food and its preparation. The boxes being made on each 
side of the feeding path must, of course, be in size according to the 
width of the building, 10 feet by 10 feet being a useful size, but 
we prefer 10 feet by 12 feet for full-grown cattle, besides affording 
space for pairs of young cattle when required, which may be fed 
in company, two together. These boxes are fenced entirely after 
being excavated 18 inches to 2 feet in depth by three larch fir 
poles of from 4 to 6 inches in diameter, but not sawn, as whole 
poles only will bear the pressure of the cattle. Three poles are 
sufficient as a division between each box, placed at about 2 feet 
apart, and whether these are fixtures or moveable they answer an 
excellent purpose at very slight cost, and will endure for many 
years ; but the poles should be cut at the time of year when the 
bark will strip off, or a grub is bred under it which eats into 
the wood and destroys its durability. In excavating the boxes we 
have never found it necessary where the soil is firm and dry to 
use concrete or other materials at the bottom of the boxes. The 
only care required is to pin-up and secure the foundation of the 
barn walls. In our method of using the boxes, which we always 
fill-in at the bottom with about 12 inches of dried earth, peat, or 
ashes previous to straw being added for littering the cattle. 
We will now allude to the erection of new buildings to give box 
accommodation, as it will be only in some instances that old 
buildings can be found equal to or well placed for our require¬ 
ments. We will illustrate our recommendation by taking a 
double row of boxes with a feeding path between, which may be 
lengthened or multiplied to any extent that may be necessary, in 
accordance with the number of cattle to be kept or fattened on 
the farm ; a convenient width of building being provided for a 
double row of boxes, 10 feet each, with a 5-feet feeding passage 
between, with a roof of 30 feet span; the boxes may be made 
10 feet by 10 feet, or 10 feet by 12 feet, as may be required. The 
passage down the centre gives room for conveying food and litter 
to the boxes. The walls supporting the building may be of brick¬ 
work with sliding doors, one to every three boxes on either side, 
