The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1861-04-16 00:00:00

COTTAGE.'.

Now that the erection of improve I cottages is becom-
ing - "3.3 Y .111501.1"1311,...a.o, iii assiouSislis triersof
the emostry, it is naps mtalli to 1111Ve 10.01001111i.,7111Ati0t1
diSSCIIMIACII as possible on the various points connected
with their arrangement and construction, KO that the
grCtltV4 A ~,,, uut of healthy and convenient aoconouo.
dation shall be se:tired at the least expenditure of time
am! mousy. Where so much depends upon the good
•.arangement of the house, it is isupos,ible to be fur-
nished with too many hints likely td help no out when
cudgelling Isis 'mains iii tie, sometimes very painful pro-
CVOs of ph ttttt ing. This same ',tanning of a louse is said
jocularly, to i.e as easy as farming—lmre by the way the
• popular estimate of the latter art crops out oddly
enough—but that it is not as easy, but ens the contrary
isnything hut that, we have many striking proofs in the
nionstrmaies of arrangement which we see not seldom
around us. Paraphrasing a well-known saying, it might
be here stated that he who employs his own architect,
has a fool for an assistant. Not here giving an csj ,i ll iun
as to hew much of truth, if any at all, there is in this,
we certainly hold that no MAU wools' be the worse off,
tome ing whist other men have known and done before
bins ; ansl that the more hints he obtains while engagosl
in pheming a house for himself or a cottage for los work-
. limn, the fewer mistakes he is likely ti snake. In this
matter, at all events, the saying holds good, "in the
of counsellors there is what ."
For in building, unlike 1113111' other affeint
we undertake, mistakes once suede cannot be
rectified ; is room made too small cannot well
Ise enlarged, and if the experience of living in a place !
points out the inconvenience of any of its arrangements,
we may regret hat we cannot often amend them. In
sitting down then to plan, as many of our readers will
hi these building-mania slays very likely sic; it will be
IlliValltagC011:1 if they can gather round themselves a
is noinher of counsellors, on to speak, from which they
may obtain rough hints, if not siege counsel. A wise
onus usay not adopt. but lie will never object to receive
variety of advice in any matter which he is eland to
lassie out. Suds counsellors, represented by uunierom !
temks, pamphlets, and plans, fortunately exists in
coniseetion with cottage building : sisal it so happens
tint, for sisany sears back, Sr.' have hems in the habit of
collecting everything we could lay our hands upon con-
taining matter on this importaut subject, beginuing at a
thins alien little attention was ;said tss it, and carrying
it up till the present, when it yields to none in Ms-
lies tance of all the points coassectssl with the improve-
in, tit ssf the condition of the agricultural labourer.
From this collection, consisting of unpublished 101 well
as publidissl plans anti notes, we propose fro,., time to
time taking matter for occasional notes. These will be
given sot no regular plan, but just as fancy or caprice
may dictate :
Ps.aers° or (.077AGL4 SQUAT (*PON THE CROUND.--
00 this point we would say that this should never, -
under any circumstances, be done. Let the rule W—
and this; without ass exception—that the floor of all the
npartments should be at is height of at least. two, but
latter if three, step; above the ground level. It is
almost impossible to keep a 11OUS0 free from damp when
it is idaced squat upon Um ground ; how infinitely
wonse must be the condition of affairs in this respect
when the level-floor is absolutely Wow the ground-
level, awl you ge 'lowa into the house on mitering into
it. Of course, where the flour is raised above the
ground-level, a little most. money will lx- expetidesl than
wiser., the bare earth or flag stones placed immediately
sir :he earth form the fluor. But if emu 1111 l yistu be
csoisidered before every consideration, and dampness is
thought nothing of where dearness comes into the field,
all good au-I well—only do not mill such buildings
imprortd cottages.
rs%o-STOMEY CD V. SINGLE-STORXTED COTTAGESI.
One acquainted with the methods of arranging the
ACCOIII 1111 l dation of English and Scotch eottages, notices
at ssuas this striking difference between them. In
Englan.l twmstureyed cottages are the rule, one-storeyssl
the exception ; is, Sootlaud the revels° is the case. In
England ris exception is taken—and it taken justly as
we venture to think—to the practice of having
on the grutod (limos.. Thom: whip l.stve usoll Moms
in loth Whys, upper-floor and groutuldloor, will have
110 hesitation, we rhould suppose, in saying that their
deckled preference is for upper.floormuoms. 'laving
all the aecumususlation.of is cottage in a gmund-floor
involves tn,, evil., first au increinie in the coot of roof-
ing, soul seconslly, the risk of having damp bedrooms,
this ,cesstid evil being, we regret to say. connected with
an immense majority of one-storeyed cottages With-
Mit bele ,•-ivitig an absolute rule for the guidance of the
" planner" on this point, we should suggest as a sale
olle to Iso.s adopted that where the accommodation is
, required to be inure than a living-room, bed room, and
scullery, the extra mast ttttt °station should Is., given in a
, second storey. In cam, all the sleeping apartments
' Should be on this second floor. They will thus Le
lillster, drier, and airier. AS for " attics," we put
• them ont or coast altogether. ',asking upon them he
' wretched sulistitutes for a class ansl style of room which
ens. bc obtained at A Cost very little more titan that
. r turned for constructing the attics. Cold in winter
and liot in summer ; inconvenient in height and gene-
rally in arrangement, they RFC not worth the looney
r expended in making them—Scottish Farmer.