November 4 , 1880 . ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 425 
poisonous liquid will do much damage. The quantity named is sufficient for 
25 square yards. 
Making a Propagating Case (Idem). —You can make an excellent pro¬ 
pagating case by enclosing a portion of the hot-water pipes. The best plan 
would be to have a shallow tank 2 inches deep to form the base of the bed, a 
trough from the tank protruding through the wall to show the depth of water 
in the tray, and for replenishing when needful. The tray should stand on the 
pipes and be perfectly firm and level. It should be covered with slates, on which 
can be placed 6 inches in depth of cocoa-nut fibre refuse. Bricks on edge will be 
suitable for enclosing the pipes, but stout deal boards last for a considerable 
time. The space should be covered with a well-fitting yet easily removable glazed 
frame light placed at sufficient height above the plunging material to accom¬ 
modate the cuttings you desire to strike. In a well-managed propagating case 
of this kind hundreds of cuttings can be struck and seedlings raised during the 
spring and summer months. 
Renovating Old Pear Trees ( Young Gardener'). —We presume that the 
trees produce an abundance of growth each summer, but form no fruit spurs. 
Root-pruning will not render such trees fruitful; yet if their growth is very 
luxuriant you might remove the soil from the roots and sever any that take a 
directly downward direction. The fact that fruit is produced on the extremi¬ 
ties of the branches of the trees on walls suggests a remedy. With a saw remove 
the fruitless spurs close to the main branches, paring the “ cuts ” smoothly with 
a sharp knife. If the branches are covered with moss it will be well to dress 
them with freshly slaked lime, the colour of which can be toned down with soot if 
required. This will cleanse the bark. In the spring fresh growth will be produced 
in clusters all along the stems ; this must be thinned out by rubbing off a great 
number of the shoots, not cutting them, eventually retaining only those that 
are short-jointed and placed 2 or 3 feet apart. These should be tied down to the 
main stems, and if they are not shortened they will in due time produce fruit 
spurs precisely in the manner of the extremities of the branches. The exact 
distance for leaving these young growths can only be determined by their 
character. If the growths are very luxuriant they may be bent and trained 
backwards along the main branches—that is, with their points directed to the 
trunk of the tree, but if only of moderate strength this is not necessary. By 
adopting this practice you will have no fruit for two years ; but after that time 
fruit will in all probability be produced freely over the entire surface of the wall, 
and with judicious pruning the trees will continue fruitful for a considerable 
time. We have proved the value of this method of rendering old Pears fruitful, 
but it is only applicable to trees that are healthy and free from gum and canker. 
Names of Plants (A Constant Reader).— 6, Crataegus coccinea ; 7, Rho¬ 
dodendron Wilsoni; 8, Picea cephalonica; 9, Taxus baccata adpressa ; 10 , 
Sequoia sempervirens. (As/ce ).—The specimens are so small and unsatisfactory 
that it is impossible for anyone to name them with confidence. No. 6 appears 
to be Retinospora plumosa, and 1 and 3 are probably varieties of that species ; 
2 , Jupinerus chinensis albo-variegata ; 4, Retinospora plumosa aurea ; 6 , Thuja 
Lobbiana compacta ; 7, Retinospora obtusa. ( G.O.S. ).—Berberis vulgaris var. 
nigra. (C. F.) . — 1, Dendrobium Gibsoni ; 2 , Cyanophyllum magnificum. 
( William Gorrie). —Satureia montana or Mountain Savory, a native of moun¬ 
tains in the south of Europe. It has been long known in this country, having 
been introduced about the middle of the sixteenth century. 
POULTRY, PIGEON, AND BEE CHRONICLE. 
BREEDS OF CATTLE ADAPTED FOR DAIRY 
FARMING. 
The fifth annual Dairy Show, which opened at the Agricultural 
Hall, London, on the 26th of October last, proved a successful 
meeting, and as a whole was highly suggestive in various ways. It 
not only served to inform the public of the breeds of cattle kept 
for dairy purposes, but it exhibited the machinery and the methods 
whereby milk is converted into cheese and butter. It also opens 
an inquiry as to how and in what proportion different breeds of 
cattle contribute towards the production of these articles. The 
owners of cattle, too, are enabled to obtain information relating 
to all the details of breeding, rearing, feeding, &c., whereby they 
may attain success in dairy farming, which is now becoming the 
most important business connected with the occupation of pastoral 
districts throughout the kingdom. In the consideration of our 
subject we will discuss the advantages of the varieties of cattle as 
they were placed on the prize list at the Dairy Show. 
Shorthorns take the leading position, and are justly considered 
the most important dairy stock now to be found in this or any 
other country. In order, however, to enable them to maintain 
this high position the greatest care, vigilance and almost hourly 
attention, are requisite, backed by the most experienced, judicious, 
and intelligent management in all the details of breeding, feed¬ 
ing, and housing, together with the manipulation and manufac¬ 
ture of the products in milk to the best advantage of which 
industrious people are capable. We must, however, call atten¬ 
tion to the difference in breeding cattle for the dairy as compared 
with those to be reared and fed for the butcher, the latter object 
being often in the ascendant. This is especially the case when 
we engage to rear all our animals-within certain lines—namely, 
by pedigree, for it frequently happens that breeders in their 
endeavours to keep to pedigree make dairying capacity a secon¬ 
dary object. They concentrate all their knowledge and perse¬ 
verance on one object—that of producing animals of a fashion¬ 
able colour, and possessing what is called quality and correct 
outline, together with wide, deep, and long form of the body, 
being perfectly satisfied if the cows will rear a calf only without 
assistance from artificial feeding. Now, we need scarcely point 
out that this mode of proceeding is directly opposite to that 
required in the breeding of cattle for yielding dairy produce. 
Although it is highly desirable to breed cows which possess the 
double advantage of being great feeders as well as deep milkers 
it is very seldom attained, as it requires the most judicious selec¬ 
tion and mating. When success has attended the efforts of 
some celebrated breeders they have attained their object entirely 
from the selection of exceptional animals, and by unusual 
endeavours have succeeded in converting the produce into a 
high-class breed. At the same time, however, our own experi¬ 
ence teaches us that it is far easier to obtain a high class of 
stock than it is to maintain them as such. The reason of this 
we have found in the fact of the best milkers being often im¬ 
perfectly formed as regards the forequarters, because as a rule 
those cows which are wide over the heart with heavy forequarters 
are seldom good milkers, hence the difficulty of combining heavy 
flesh and correct shape with deep milking capacity in the same 
animal. These are matters of so much importance in the breed¬ 
ing of dairy stock that we have—in the interest of the home 
farmer, and particularly the young men, so many of whom are 
yearly entering on dairy management—dwelt upon the subject at 
greater length than some experienced men may consider requisite. 
As we are now referring only to rearing cattle for dairy pur¬ 
poses it should be understood that for several reasons we advise 
moderate feeding at periods when the animals are not yielding 
milk, because they are likely to be more healthy as young stock, 
more likely to breed early and more regularly after bringing their 
first calf, and during the time cows are out of milk they are not so 
likely to accumulate fat internally, which is frequently the cause 
of the drop or downfall in the udder after calving. 
In selecting animals for breeding both sire and dam should be 
certified as being saved from good milking stock, and this is of 
the highest importance, whether breeding from pedigree stock or 
ordinary Shorthorns. The time which the cows or heifers should 
calve is usually regulated by the requirements of the produce. 
If the making of cheese and butter is the object the calves should 
drop about February or March, so that they may be removed by 
the time the grass is ready for feeding. With respect to heifers, 
they should bring their first calf in April or May. Calves reared 
to make good any losses in the dairy by cows becoming barren, &c., 
should be weaned early, and kept well enough to maintain them 
in health and in a growing state. The first food should be new 
milk for about two or three weeks, then skim milk, or some of the 
various substitutes which will keep up their condition. After 
going out to graze they should have shelter at night, or lie on 
a very dry sheltered paddock, and be offered hay and a little 
cotton cake. The only fear of disease is from the scour or quarter 
ill, and the treatment we have stated is likely to avoid these 
complaints. There is much controversy as to the age the heifers 
should drop their first calf ; we incline to and believe the balance 
of opinion of the best dairymen is that they should not breed 
until they are from twenty-six to twenty-eight months old- 
