CRITIQUE ON NOVEMBER HORTICULTURIST. 



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houses, as many are in the habit of doing. 

 In cities, where land is dear, and nothing 

 to see out of the house but brick walls, I 

 can easily understand why they who dwell 

 there arc content to spend half their indoor 

 lives, under ground ; but in the country, 

 where fine air and sun-light can always be 

 had for the asking, I can divine no good 

 reason for going below, other than that 

 " the architect so plans it."* 



Very many of the otherwise prettiest 

 models that I have seen, for a country 

 house, are utterly spoiled for this defect ; 

 and I am only astonished that any one at 

 all acquainted with the philosophy of rural 

 life, will for a moment tolerate it when 

 constructing his own dwelling. 



One probable cause why under kitchens 

 are so frequently adopted in the country, is 

 the attempt to gain two or three different 

 fronts to the house, thus yielding the great 

 desiderata of convenience and home expres- 

 sion — the two chief objects of a country 

 house at all — to a fanciful and false taste 

 for avpearence, totally forgetting that a 

 dwelling should look like a dwelling, and 

 like nothing else. We should have one 

 chief entrance front, and but one. If, by 

 reason of more convenient every day ap- 

 proach or access, or a favorite landscape 

 view, a side, or even an opposite front be 

 desirable, such front should be of less pre- 



* We think we can give our correspondent some 1 j erli t 

 on this subject. Mr. A. for example, calls upon an architect 

 and wishes a very complete collage, with kitchen and all con- 

 veniences on the first floor. The general features of tin- plan 

 are discussed and sketches are prepared. It is then found that 

 two parlors and a library must be had on the first floor, and 

 a considerable effect must be produced Still the house 

 must cost but a very moderate Mim, which it must on no 

 account exceed. Here is a dilemma, to which there are 

 clearly hut two horns — either the kitchen. &c must he put 

 in the basement, (where it will be remembered the cost 

 is not more than half of the same accommodation in a sep- 

 arate wing on the first floor,) or a library or drawing room 

 must be given up. Ti.e proprietor decides that he cannot 



surrender his finest aparlmeilt, and so the kitchen goes 



-lairs, it is the impossibility of obtaining with a 

 number of handsome apartments and the utmost conveni- 

 ence of kitchen arrangements, for a small sum. which puts 

 the kitchen of so many cottages "/ the eeliar, and not the 

 want of knowledge in the architect. Our correspondent is 

 quile ri-l t as to the advantage of having the kitchen 

 arrangements complete on the first floor. Ed. 



tension than the main one, and by its sub- 

 dued expression lead the eye naturally on 

 to the more retired and continually occupi- 

 ed apartments, gradually descending in 

 architectural effort and expense as it ap- 

 proaches the more humble, yet all import- 

 ant appendages which every well appointed 

 dwelling requires. In short, a house, out- 

 side, ought to look as though it had a nursery 

 and a kitchen, a back door and a wood- 

 house, as well as a hall, a parlor, and a 

 library ; and the aiming at anything dif- 

 ferent from such effect, destroys the idea 

 of a really comfortable mansion altogether, 

 and is an absolute perversion of good taste 

 in its construction. 



A well spread, amply shadowed, home- 

 like country house, is a grateful object, 

 both to look at, and live in. And its deep 

 porch or veranda without, and its ample 

 hall within, leading on to quite as ample 

 apartments, with arm chairs, and easy 

 chairs, and lounges, where one can throw 

 himself at full length, and at perfect ease, 

 and kick his cares and vexations out of 

 doors, without fear of soiling his carpets, or 

 chafing the varnish off the mahogany or 

 the rosewoods, is still better ; and any sort 

 of finish or furniture that forbids the entire 

 recreation and enjoyment of one's self, 

 within or about it, is so much surplussage, 

 as the lawyers would say, and should be 

 " struck out as irrelevant." 



In your leader of the September Horti- 

 culturist, you gave most conclusive reasons 

 why country houses and country furniture, 

 should be unlike city houses and their fur- 

 niture ; and as one generally and strongly 

 alleged reason for country life, is the 

 quietude and leisure it confers, why not at 

 once make the most of its advantages, and 

 indulge in all the ahandonment which it 

 offers ? A true country house should also 

 have some appearance of rusticity — not 



