CRITIQUE ON NOVEMBER HORTICULTURIST. 

 BY JEFFREYS, NEW- YORK. 



Cottage Villa of Mr. Rot ch — Frontispiece. 

 — Here is something that I like — A sensi- 

 ble house, and in very good taste ; em- 

 bodying in the main, the essentials of good 

 house arrangement, as far as it goes, and 

 adapted to the purposes for which it was 

 intended — an unpretending, quiet cottage 

 of the first class. Still, it is not complete, 

 and may be somewhat altered and ex- 

 tended with advantage ; and with your 

 leave, Mr. Editor, I'll pass a word or two 

 upon it. In point of internal arrangement, 

 particularly, if not in outside appearance, 

 for a one and a half story house, its hipped 

 roof is objectionable, in cutting off' one 

 third of the chamber room ; a serious draw- 

 back to the convenience and pleasantness 

 of these upper apartments, besides giving 

 to the elevation of the house a squat ap- 

 pearance. A bold gable on each side 

 would add to it both light and character ; 

 while the deep frieze jetting over the walls 

 would give shade and coolness in summer 

 to the chambers. The roof of the front 

 porch is also too high, running its point 

 far above the pinnacle of the house itself, 

 this making it the superior instead of the 

 inferior appendage, the latter its proper 

 character.* The veranda, light and taste- 

 ful as it is, should extend no further than 

 the walls of the house, unless it return 

 down the sides, detracting as it now does 

 from its completeness on a side view, and 

 presenting a defective appearance in front. 

 The dormer windows also, in the roof, af- 

 ford imperfect light to the chambers, be- 

 sides defacing their proper figure, and sub- 

 jecting the roof to leakages and expensive 



* On looking at this design by Mr. Davis, we find our 

 correspondent has mistaken the plan. This centre portion, 

 which lie calls the [Kirch, runs through or across the whole 

 house, and the architect is correct in making it the highest 

 and Loldest part of tlie composition. Ed. 



repairs. The chimneys are graceful in 

 their structure, and add to the agreeable 

 expression of the whole. The skylight — 

 as it appears in the view — at the apex of 

 the roof, is appropriate ; but the bailustrade 

 below it, is entirely useless, and on, or off*, 

 is a matter of fancy only. 



Internally, the dwelling is incomplete, 

 for I take it there is no want of ground on 

 which the building stands. It is too 

 cramped. An ample family bed-room is 

 wanting on the main floor. People grow 

 old — sometimes — and a sleeping room ad- 

 joining a parlour or sitting room, is, for 

 really comfortable housekeeping, indispen- 

 sable. What is now the kitchen, or the 

 library, could be converted into a sleeping 

 room ; the other room of these two not so 

 occupied, should be changed into the di- 

 ning room, the library take the place of the 

 present dining room, and an ample kitchen, 

 with large, shelvy closets, drawers, and 

 cupboards, and a scullery, and a man-ser- 

 vant's bed-room and a bathing-room on the 

 same floor, should be added by way of 

 wing, not omitting a flight of back stairs 

 to the rear chambers, a wash-room attach- 

 ed to that ; a wood-room beyond, if a part 

 of the cellar be not appropriated to such 

 purpose, and still further, either in line, or 

 by an angle adjoining or detached, should 

 extend the other outhouses belonging to a 

 complete northern country dwelling, and 

 which always gives to it that air of repose 

 and comfort to the eye, as well as practical 

 convenience in living, indispensable to a 

 well ordered house arrangement. Such ad- 

 ditions would exceedingly improve this neat 

 and tasty design of a " cottage villa." 



It is passing strange that people are so 

 prone to build under-kitchens to count? y 



